Baltimore Orioles Get Concerning Injury Update on Young Ace

Baltimore Orioles fans will be disappointed with the latest Grayson Rodriguez injury update.

Jun 9, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) reacts after giving up a run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Baltimore Orioles fans hoping to get some good news on Grayson Rodriguez over the weekend were ultimately disappointed.

Last week, the Orioles revealed that Rodriguez had triceps soreness and is expected to miss the start of the season. More news came out on Sunday about his condition, and it wasn't great.

Roch Kubatko of MASN reported on X that Rodriguez has inflammation in his right elbow and received a cortisone shot. According to manager Brandon Hyde, Rodriguez will be shut down for 7-10 days, then begin a throwing progression to ramp back up.

This is ominous news for the 25-year-old right-hander, who won't resume throwing until the second half of March. If rest and cortisone shots don't work, he may require a more serious procedure like Tommy John surgery.

I feel bad for Grayson Rodriguez, this was supposed to be the season where he proved to everyone that he could be one of the best pitchers in the game. I really hope he fully recovers and has a wonderful year

— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) March 9, 2025

There's no timeline yet for Rodriguez's return, as Baltimore will need to wait and see how his elbow responds. Assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks, he probably won't make his season debut until late April or May at the earliest.

That's not ideal for the Orioles, who have a brutal schedule to start the season. They're also dealing with injuries to other key players, including Gunnar Henderson, Tyler O'Neill and Andrew Kittredge.

Rodriguez was expected to step up and lead Baltimore's rotation following Corbin Burnes' departure this offseason. Burnes signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency.

Rodriguez made significant strides in his second season last year, lowering his ERA from 4.35 to 3.86 and his WHIP from 1.34 to 1.24. He also improved his command, boosting his K/BB ratio from 3.1 to 3.6.

The Orioles are hopeful the former first-round draft pick can take another step forward in 2025, but that will have to wait. In the meantime, Zach Eflin will serve as the team's ace while Rodriguez is on the mend.