Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez is Suddenly Unrecognizable in 2026

One of the few positive signs from the Arizona Diamondbacks' 4-2 loss to the Colorado Rockiesrodrig on Friday night was provided by left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez — his outing was encouraging, precisely because of how poor it began.

The left-hander, who came in to the contest with an immaculate 2.25 ERA, was knocked around for two earned runs in the first frame. It was clear from the beginning that he did not have his best stuff.

And Rodriguez confirmed as such.

"[Saturday] was one of those days that I didn't have nothing behind the ball," he said, speaking to D-backs.TV's Jody Jackson postgame. "The only pitch I was working today was the fastball up, and we took advantage of it. But the rest of the pitches weren't what I wanted."

And yet, after a two-run first inning and more trouble in the second, Rodriguez adjusted, settled down and provided some length. After throwing over 30 pitches in the first inning, the left-hander managed to pitch into the sixth inning with just three earned runs.

Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez grits out tough start

May 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rodriguez said his changeup, which has been one of his better putaway pitches, was off Saturday. In fact, it was floating glove-side, and even registered as a cutter on occasion.

"The double in the, I think the first inning, they put cutter on the ball [on Statcast], but it was a changeup, that's how bad it was," Rodriguez said.

But the high fastball was working. Rodriguez punched out six batters, with five coming on a high heater. It was that adjustment that allowed him to grit through his start.

"E-Rod was great," manager Torey Lovullo said. "Gritty would be the perfect expression. 30-plus pitches in the first, he looked like he was struggling with the location of several of his pitches. But then he locked it in.

"The fact that he pitched into the sixth was amazing. I think in a perfect world, if he doesn't throw 30 pitches, and we're not at this altitude, I might let him finish that inning. ... But overall, he threw the ball good. He made a great effort. Did a great, great job making adjustments. It was a great effort," Lovullo said.

That, in a nutshell, is what has looked so different about the veteran left-hander this season. It's not just his overall numbers, or individual performances. It's been his ability to hold on to a start and keep Arizona in games even when an outing is trending in a negative direction.

Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez looks like best version of himself

May 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) pitches during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the southpaw needed a bounce-back season in the worst way. His 5.00-plus ERA seasons in 2024 and 2025 were serious disappointments after an $80 million investment.

This year, Rodriguez has avoided those blowups. He came into spring training down 20-plus pounds, he's made some adjustments to his arsenal, and has looked hungrier and more focused on the mound.

Perhaps this is due to finally being fully healthy, but regardless, it's benefitting Arizona. Even though he was charged with Saturday's loss — mostly due to squandered offensive opportunities — his contributions cannot go unnoticed.

Rodriguez's ERA jumped up a bit — to 2.53 — after he allowed three runs in 5.1 innings on Saturday. But his expected ERA dropped, as did his FIP.

Eduardo Rodriguez ERA bumped up a little from 2.25 to 2.53, while his FIP dropped from 4.18 to 3.85, xFIP went from 4.65 to 4.35

He struck out six, didn't walk a batter, but the Rockies had a .529 BABIP against him today

Tough loss, but I'm not discouraged by his outing at all
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) May 16, 2026

Rodriguez holds a 4-1 record, and has pitched three of his deepest-ever outings as a member of the D-backs — recently falling two outs shy of his first complete game.

Certainly, regression is on the table. An ERA that far below 3.00 may not be sustainable, and his expected stats are a bit higher than his results.

But even if there are some less-stunning outings on the horizon, Rodriguez is showing an important ability to grit his way through outings and find a way to keep the Diamondbacks in games. That's all Arizona truly ever needed from the veteran.

Add us as a preferred source on Google