Orioles’ Rodriguez optimistic he can pitch next month; Rutschman’s back improving

BALTIMORE—Grayson Rodriguez hadn’t thrown since he experienced right lat/teres discomfort before his scheduled start on August 6^th at Toronto.

“I played catch for the first time today,” Rodriguez said on Saturday. “Right now, I’m just taking it easy. So far, so good. Everything feels good.”

Rodriguez could come off the 15-day injured list on Monday, but he won’t.

“Warming up. Something didn’t feel right,” Rodriguez said about his pregame preparation on August 5th. “Shut it down, really want to be here for the back half of the season. Thankfully we were able to catch it before it turned into anything serious.”

Rodriguez, who is 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA, was on the injured list earlier this season with right shoulder inflammation. That isn’t related to the current injury.

“There really wasn’t anything leading up to it,” Rodriguez said. “That day, warming up. I didn’t really feel much before that.”

With six weeks left in the regular season, Rodriguez wants to pitch in meaningful games.

“To be back as soon as possible,” he said. “When that is, I’m really not sure. I don’t think we have a day in mind. It’s going to go off of how I feel, day-to-day. Obviously, the organization [is] going to do everything we can to make sure when I come back, I stay back healthy.”

Rodriguez’s major league debut was delayed in 2022 when he suffered a similar injury. Then he was hurt in June, and didn’t pitch again until the following spring training.

“This is way more mild, so pretty good news there,” he said. “I want to be here for the postseason. I want to be here for the back half of September, the month of September. Making sure that we do everything we can and just make sure it stays healthy and in a good spot.”

Rodriguez will continue to play catch, he said.

“That will be a more regular thing, feeling it out, and it’s going to depend a lot on how I feel.”

Manager Brandon Hyde hopes Rodriguez comes back soon.

“I’m hoping for the best,” he said. “You never know as guys go through their throwing progression, and, hopefully, he doesn’t have any setbacks. We don’t have that much time left. We’re still optimistic and feel good about where he is right now. Hopefully, there’s no setbacks.”

Rutschman improving: Adley Rutschman, who was scheduled to catch on Friday night, was scratched not long before gametime with lower back discomfort. Rutschman isn’t in the lineup for Saturday night’s game. James McCann will catch for the second straight night, but Hyde said his two-time All-Star catcher is improving

“He’s a little better,” Hyde said. “I’m hoping the next day or two he can get back in there. He should be available off the bench tonight in a big spot. Definitely improved from last night. Back feels a little bit better. Getting treatment on it all afternoon and improving.”

Rutschman hasn’t been on the injured list during his major league career, and Hyde said the Orioles did consider making a move to add a third catcher temporarily to the roster.

“I think we were waiting to see what he was like today,” Hyde said. “If it went backwards, I think that was definitely a possibility. That’s one position you can’t be short. We felt like it was going to improve by this afternoon, and it has.”

Blake Hunt, who’s on the 40-man roster, was in the Orioles’ clubhouse before the game, and he’ll be the taxi squad catcher.

Notes: Right-hander Bryan Baker was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Cade Povich, who will start Saturday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox. Baker was 1-1 with a 4.71 ERA in 17 games. … Reliever Jacob Webb, who’s on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, threw for the first time since he went on the injured list. He’s also eligible to return from the injured list on Monday.