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Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said he’s “hopeful” that Grayson Rodriguez pitches this season, which must suffice as the latest update on the projected No. 2 starter.
Information on Rodriguez isn’t plentiful. The right-hander hasn’t talked to the local media since a March exhibition game in Fort Myers.
Rodriguez is going through a throwing progression and he’s doing “great,” according to Mansolino. Rodriguez hasn’t made a major league appearance since July 31 due to a right lat/teres strain that kept him out of the Wild Card series. He went on the 15-day injured list in spring training with discomfort in his elbow/triceps area but was moved to the 60-day IL with another right lat strain.
“He’s progressing as expected right now,” Mansolino added. “It’s not something we want to put deadlines on by any means. … There’s not always an exact script for every individual injury. We have human beings involved, so we’re very careful. And I know it probably frustrates you guys at times, but we’re very careful of not trying to set expectations through the media, but we also don’t do it privately.
“It’s not something we’re saying like, ‘You’ve got to be ready by this day.’ There’s usually kind of a list of options with some of these guys coming up and if they hit these check points and it goes well. (Colton) Cowser probably expedited his process maybe by a day because he hit the check points quicker, and there’s other scenarios of maybe it lasting a day longer. So we’re trying not to put too much pressure on these guys. I think that’s fair, right? It’s not a public thing. It's just dealing with injured players and understanding that we probably don’t know how every injury is going to heal.”
Rodriguez’s throwing is assumed to be on flat ground, but that information isn’t readily available.
“The exact specifics I can’t get into,” Mansolino said, “but he’s throwing, he’s progressing as expected.”
Even the injury has led to some confusion, with the lat listed as the reason for the 60-day stint.
“He probably needs to speak to that specifically,” Mansolino said. “I don’t feel comfortable answering that question. But I would say he never fully came back from the elbow, so it’s probably something, even if it is healed fully, which is might be, I’m sure it’s something that we’re conscious of as he builds himself back up to being a major league pitcher.”
Charlie Morton stays in the rotation and makes a start in the weekend series against the Angels at Camden Yards. No move back to the bullpen.
Infielder Luis Vázquez is waiting to make his Orioles debut after having his contract selected yesterday. He appeared in 11 games with the Cubs last summer and went 1-for-12.
Vázquez hit .280/.345/.447 in 37 games with Norfolk to position himself for a promotion. He first got noticed in spring training with a 325 average, 10 RBIs and .788 OPS in 21 games.
“I feel like I was able to make a really good impression during spring, which I think matters a lot, and I think thanks to that, I’m able to be here now,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.
“Everyone knows that this is what I wanted. I’ve been playing the way I want to, and being up here in the big leagues is what I wanted, so I feel like I’ve been able to do just that and play really well.”
Former Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty, now the Cubs bench coach, phoned Mansolino and offered a strong endorsement of Vázquez. The Orioles acquired the infielder for cash considerations over the winter.
Flaherty “told me this might be the greatest shortstop he’s ever seen in person,” Mansolino recalled. “So coming into spring training, I trust Ryan and what he says, and what I saw was a really good shortstop. A really good defender. Talented, gifted, comfortable with the glove on his hand. A guy that probably hasn’t hit a ton in the minor leagues coming into this, but you look at his Norfolk numbers and the reports coming from Feddy (manager Tim Federowicz) down in Norfolk and kind of what he’s saying about him, there’s a lot to like.”
The Orioles signed left-hander Sayer Diederich, 24, to a minor league contract, according to their transactions page. He pitched in 2024 for the independent Billings Mustangs and hadn’t been with an affiliated team.
Ryan O’Hearn is at first base tonight against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize. Jordan Westburg is the designated hitter, Cedric Mullins is in center field and Cowser moves to left.
For the Orioles
Jackson Holliday 2B
Adley Rutschman C
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Jordan Westburg DH
Colton Cowser LF
Ramón Laureano RF
Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urias 3B
Zach Eflin RHP
For the Tigers
Parker Meadows CF
Gleyber Torres 2B
Kerry Carpenter DH
Riley Greene LF
Spencer Torkelson 1B
Wenceel Pérez RF
Colt Keith 3B
Jake Rogers C
Zach McKinstry SS
Casey Mize RHP
