Orioles option Grayson Rodriguez to Norfolk, recall Akin

After compiling a 7.35 earned-run average in 10 starts, the Orioles optioned Grayson Rodriguez to Triple-A Norfolk. The move was made after Friday night’s game when Rodriguez allowed nine runs, eight earned, on six hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 12-2 loss to Texas.

Rodriguez was sent to Norfolk at the end of a disappointing spring training but recalled when Kyle Bradish suffered a foot injury, and he made his first start against the Rangers on April 5th.

While Rodriguez has had some good starts, and manager Brandon Hyde said his previous one at Toronto last Sunday was his best, he had some rough ones as well. On May 4th, he allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings at Kansas City, and on May 15th, Rodriguez gave up eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings against Los Angeles.

“We want to give him a reset. He’s had some real positives moments for us this season, and had a few struggles [in his] starts,” Hyde said. “It was a great experience. I think it’s more normal than not to have a guy come up here and go through a little bit of adversity and go back down, knowing and understanding what he needs to work on to get back up here, knowing that he can have success back up here.

“He’ll be a really, really good starting pitcher in this league, go back down there and work on some things and hopefully come back soon. Not everybody comes up here and sets the world on fire. That’s abnormal. The right thing to do is to have this opportunity, which he did … We know he can do it. Now, it’s being more consistent with it.”

The Orioles recalled left-hander Keegan Akin, who was 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA in 13 games before he was optioned on May 9th. Akin had a 1.29 ERA in four games with Norfolk.

Rodriguez’s turn would have come again on Wednesday, and the Orioles will have to find a starter for that game. Hyde indicated that Austin Voth, who pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief following Rodriguez, is a candidate.