The Orioles were dealt a blow to their postseason starting rotation on Wednesday.
Starter Grayson Rodriguez was shut down for the rest of the regular season and for the postseason, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters at Yankee Stadium ahead of the second game of a three-game series with the Bronx Bombers.
Rodriguez has been on the injured list since Aug. 7 after he suffered an injury to his right lat/teres muscle the day before while warming up ahead of a game against the Blue Jays.
The 24-year-old right-hander had thrown several bullpen sessions but he wasn’t progressing in a manner that would have made him available for the playoffs, the Baltimore Sun reported.
“We’re going to, unfortunately, shut him down,” Hyde said. “He’s going to miss the playoffs. We’re going to get him ready for 2025. Just ran out of time with him and it’s disappointing and tough, but he’s so talented and a huge part of our rotation this year and going forward. So, we just ran out of time with him.”
Rodriguez had spent time on the injured list earlier this season when he was dealing with right shoulder inflammation in April and May.
Now that he is officially shut down, the 24-year-old ends the 2024 campaign with a 13-4 record and 3.86 ERA in 116⅔ innings.
“It wasn’t a setback,” Hyde said about the injury. “It’s normally an injury which takes some time, and to get him back for the playoffs was going to be a little bit of a rush and we just felt like for his health, for his future, it’s the right thing to do.”
The Orioles have four games left on their schedule after Wednesday’s battle at Yankee Stadium before the playoffs begin.
Pitchers John Means, Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish have also been sidelined for the season due to injuries.