Considering he walked off the mound with an injury in the sixth inning of a Triple-A game with Norfolk on June 1, returning to pitch this past season in September was big for the sport’s highest-rated pitching prospect, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.
While the Orioles didn’t get him a late-year start in Baltimore to make his MLB debut, he did make one rehab outing for high Single-A Aberdeen and two for Double-A Bowie before ending his year with three starts and pitching to an ERA of 2.63 at Triple-A.
It was nice to get to prove he was over the Grade 2 right lat strain and that he was healthy again. Today, on an Orioles zoom call with local media on his 23rd birthday, Rodriguez talked about being added to the club’s 40-man roster this week. He could start next season in the Orioles' opening day rotation.
“Obviously, it’s honor to get put on anybody’s 40-man, especially ours,” Rodriguez said this afternoon. “So, pretty excited, pretty pumped up for it. Can’t wait for spring training. And really just looking forward to what this year has in store. Just getting back out there and throwing the baseball.”
In 17 starts in 2022, he went 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA, missing time between June 1 and Sept. 1 with the injury. Over a combined 75 2/3 innings he walked 28, fanned 109, posted an 0.99 WHIP and allowed a .176 batting average against. In 14 starts at Triple-A only, he went 6-1 with a 2.20 ERA and was a postseason International League All-Star.