masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgHe is having quite a year at just 20 years old in the Carolina League pitching for the Single-A Frederick Keys, but now the Orioles are set to move left-handed pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez to the Double-A Bowie Baysox.

Rodriguez just yesterday was named to pitch representing the Orioles in the Futures Game for the World Team.

The native of Valencia, Venezuela was a spring training invitee to the Orioles’ major league camp at Ed Smith Stadium, where he was shown some of the big league…He is having quite a year at just 20 years old in the Carolina League pitching for the Single-A Frederick Keys, but now the Orioles are set to move left-handed pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez to the Double-A Bowie Baysox.

Rodriguez just yesterday was named to pitch representing the Orioles in the Futures Game for the World Team.

The native of Valencia, Venezuela was a spring training invitee to the Orioles’ major league camp at Ed Smith Stadium, where he was shown some of the big league ropes by pitchers Miguel Gonzalez and Pedro Strop.

This season for the Keys, Rodriguez is 6-4 with a 2.85 ERA over 14 starts. Rodriguez has allowed two earned runs or less in his last six starts, pitching to an ERA of 1.78 in that time. He pitched a scoreless inning in the recent Carolina-California League All-Star game, representing Frederick.

There is no confirmation yet, but his first Eastern League start could come Monday at home against Akron.

Rodriguez is ranked as the organization’s fifth best prospect and third best pitching prospect by Baseball America.

Meanwhile, something nice happened for a veteran O’s baseball man today.

With a 7-4 win over the Twins’ Gulf Coast League team this afternoon, Orioles Gulf Coast League team manager Juan “Orlando” Gomez recorded his 1,000th career win. In his ninth season in the Orioles organization, Gomez has managed at four levels of the Baltimore minor league system and served as batting practice pitcher for the major league club for two seasons. Overall, 2013 marks Gomez’s 49th season in professional baseball and his 18th year as a manager.

“On behalf of the Orioles, I congratulate Orlando Gomez on this milestone achievement in his coaching career,” said Orioles Executive Vice President Dan Duquette. “We proudly recognize his lifelong dedication and hard work to mentor young ballplayers by teaching them the skills needed to have successful careers in professional baseball.”

Gomez spent the previous three seasons managing the Single-A Frederick Keys, leading the club to the 2011 Carolina League championship and winning the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award that year. He is the winningest manager in Keys history and also manged for the Orioles with Delmarva and Bluefield. He spent 2005-06 on the Orioles’ major league staff, throwing batting practice, running the in-game radar gun at Oriole Park and catching pitchers warming in the bullpen.