Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez suffers setback in injury recovery
Diamondbacks' pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a setback in his recovery from a left lat strain, manager Torey Lovullo said Friday.
Rodriguez initially injured his lat in a spring training game against the Cubs on March 19. He began his throwing program on March 26, and had his second bullpen session on Tuesday as he continued to progress in his recovery. But on Wednesday, Rodriguez reported tightness, prompting the Diamondbacks to send him for an MRI.
That imaging was “still showing a signal” of issues in Rodriguez’s lat, Lovullo said. Because of those results, the Diamondbacks have shut down his throwing program, essentially returning him to the same position he was in when he suffered the initial injury.
“I just know that there was a reoccurring signal in there that was enough to say, let's shut him down,” Lovullo said.
Lovullo said he does not know how long Rodriguez will need to be shut down but suggested the duration could be similar to after the initial injury.
Rodriguez’s injury once again puts the Diamondbacks in a position they were in for much of spring training, in that they have an open battle for the fifth spot in their starting rotation.
After they signed Jordan Montgomery in March, it appeared their rotation would be set once Montgomery and Rodriguez were ready to join the big-league club. Now, there will once again be an opening for either Tommy Henry or Ryne Nelson to remain in the rotation for an extended period, even after Montgomery’s anticipated return next week.
In his three starts, Henry has allowed nine earned runs in 14 innings (5.79 ERA). He has struck out 15 batters and walked seven. He performed better on the Diamondbacks’ most recent road trip than he did in his first start of the year, completing five innings and allowing two earned runs in each outing on the trip. The first one came against the Braves, who have one of the better lineups in baseball, while the second came in the notorious hitters’ environment of Coors Field.
Nelson struggled mightily against the Yankees in his first start of the year, allowing four earned runs in 2⅔ innings. He fared better against the Braves, striking out seven and allowing three earned runs in five innings. In his two starts, he has an 8.22 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks in 7⅔ innings.
“My heart hurts for E-Rod, but this ballclub is ready to accept any challenge put before them,” Lovullo said. “They are a tough baseball team, they are resilient, they've had to make many adjustments and be very adaptable, big words inside of our culture, and they've done a great job. So it'll be next man up, as it has been for the past several games.”
—Theo Mackie
Rehabbing Alek Thomas eager for T-shirt giveaway
The Diamondbacks are giving away a T-shirt on Saturday to commemorate Alek Thomas’ clutch, game-tying homer from the National League Championship series, but Thomas himself doesn’t need any reminders of the blast.
He said he relives the moment — and all it entailed — fairly often.
“Almost every day, I would say,” Thomas said. “It was just a really special moment. I loved the swing. I loved seeing all the fans get really excited and getting this place bumping. I definitely think about it quite often.”
Thomas wasn’t involved in the design of the shirt, but he does love how it turned out. It features images of him surrounded by lightning bolts, his name in block letters.
“I just saw it one day and was like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty sweet,” he said, adding, “I think I have a few shirts that have that vibe to it.”
The timing isn’t ideal for the giveaway with Thomas is on the injured list with a hamstring strain, but the center fielder says he is making progress in his rehab. He started a straight-line running progression this week and hopes to starting making turns next week.
As he builds to that, he has been able to continue swinging the bat, including facing live pitching in extended spring training.
He said he is trying to “make sure that when I come back, I’m hitting the ground running.”
—Nick Piecoro
DBacks closer Paul Sewald on verge of mound session
Right-hander Paul Sewald is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, the first time he will throw off the mound since going down with a left oblique strain during the final week of spring training, Lovullo said.
Since Sewald does not need to build up a pitch count like a starting pitcher, if things continue to progress he could be back with the team in relatively short order, perhaps by the end of the month.
“How many bullpens does he throw? How many (live batting practice sessions) will he throw? How many rehab games will he need?” Lovullo said, anticipating questions from reporters. “It’s all yet to be determined. But tomorrow's going to be a really big day for us.”
Sewald, the Diamondbacks’ closer, has been missed, with the bullpen struggling to protect leads over the first couple weeks of the season.
—Nick Piecoro
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DBacks' Eduardo Rodriguez suffers setback in injury recovery
