Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez thinks he’ll be ready to pitch when eligible

WASHINGTON — Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on April 30.^th. He is eligible to return on May 15^th, and Rodriguez thinks he’ll be ready to pitch by then.

“Feeling good. Just wanted to take some time off. I had some shoulder inflammation, missed a start or two, then came back to it,” he said.

Rodriguez is 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA in six starts and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in his last start.

“Just a little pain,” he said. “We wanted to be a little bit careful, just make sure this doesn’t turn into something more than what it is.”

Rodriguez launched on April 29^th. He said the next morning things weren’t going so well.

“Just a little extra pain, nothing too crazy,” Rodriguez said. “Obviously, being early in the season, we just wanted to make sure that we had the situation under control now and that it wouldn’t turn into something worse.”

Rodriguez takes it slow.

“Playing catch, just playing light catch, I’m going to rebuild there and hopefully be ready when the 15 days are up,” he said.

“He’s going to have a team here in the next few days,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He feels good. He plays catch. I don’t know exactly when he will leave the IL. It will largely depend on the progress of the team, the recovery of the side. Everything seems fine right now. I hope he comes back soon.

Rodriguez doesn’t think he’ll need any early rehabilitation.

“I really don’t know what the plan is,” he said. “Personally, I don’t think so, but it’s not up to me to decide.”