Eduardo Rodríguez (left-handed pitcher)

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rodríguez and the second or maternal family name is Hernández.
Eduardo Rodríguez

Rodriguez with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox – No. 52
Pitcher
Born: (1993-04-07) April 7, 1993
Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 28, 2015, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Win–loss record 13–13
Earned run average 4.25
Strikeouts 198
Teams

Eduardo José Rodríguez Hernández (born April 7, 1993) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He stands 6'2" and weighs 210 lbs.

Rodríguez signed as an international free agent with the Baltimore Orioles' organization in 2010, and was traded to the Red Sox during the 2014 season for Andrew Miller. He is considered one of the best prospects in baseball. He made his MLB debut on May 28, 2015.

Minor league career

Rodríguez signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an international free agent in January 2010, receiving a $175,000 signing bonus.[1][2] He made his professional debut that season with the Dominican Summer Orioles of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He had a 3–4 win–loss record and a 2.33 earned run average (ERA), allowing only 48 hits and no home runs in  65 2⁄3 innings pitched, but he walked 28 batters.[2]

In 2011, Rodríguez played for the Gulf Coast Orioles of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he had a 1.81 ERA, and a walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio of 1.01. He also made one start for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League in 2011. In 2012, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League.[3] With Delmarva, Rodríguez pitched to a 5–7 record with a 3.70 ERA in 22 games started, allowing 103 hits and 30 walks in 107 innings, while striking out 73 batters.[1][4]

The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training as a non-roster player in 2013.[5] Baseball America named Rodríguez as the Orioles' fifth best prospect before the start of the 2013 season.[1] Rodríguez started the 2013 season with the Frederick Keys of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, where he had a 2.85 ERA in 14 games started.[1] He appeared in the Carolina-California League All-Star Game, where he pitched a scoreless inning.[5] Rodríguez was promoted to the Double-A Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League in June. Rodríguez, along with Henry Urrutia and Christian Walker, represented the Orioles at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game in July.[1][6] He pitched one inning, allowing a hit and recording one strikeout.[2] For Bowie, Rodríguez had a 4–3 record and a 4.22 ERA in 11 games started.[7] After the conclusion of the regular season, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL).[2] He started the AFL's championship game,[8] pitching three scoreless innings for the Mesa Solar Sox in a 2–0 victory.[9]

Baseball America ranked Rodríguez as the Orioles' third best prospect and the 65th best in baseball before the 2014 season.[10] MLB.com named Rodríguez the 68th best prospect,[11] while ESPN rated him as the 43rd best prospect and Baseball Prospectus named him the 61st best prospect. The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training,[12] and assigned him to start the 2014 season with Bowie.[13] He missed five weeks of the season due to a sprained knee,[14] and had a 3–7 win-loss record and a 4.79 ERA with Bowie through July.[10] On July 31, 2014, the Orioles traded Rodríguez to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Andrew Miller.[15] Orioles' general manager Dan Duquette said that he "offered about 50 other pitchers" to Boston before agreeing to trade Rodríguez, as the Red Sox "required" him in a trade for Miller.[16]

Rodríguez started his Red Sox career with the Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League.[10][14][17] In six starts for Portland, Rodríguez had a 3–1 win-loss record with a 0.96 ERA,[18] with 39 strikeouts and eight walks.[19] He joined the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League for one start during the International League playoffs, pitching seven innings against the Durham Bulls in the Governors' Cup Finals.[20]

After the 2014 season, the Red Sox added Rodriguez to its 40-man roster to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.[21] He opened the 2015 season with Pawtucket, where he went 4–3 with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts.

Major league career

On May 28, 2015, Rodríguez earned the win in his debut, tossing 7⅔ shutout innings in Boston's 5–1 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park. Rodríguez allowed just three hits and walked two batters, while striking out seven on 105 pitches, 68 of them for strikes.[22] Already the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his Major League debut on the road since 21-year-old Roger Clemens faced the Cleveland Indians in 1984,[23] Rodríguez also became the youngest Red Sox starter to win in his Major League debut on the road since Billy Rohr in 1967.[24][25] Rodríguez became the first pitcher since the advent of ERA as an official statistic in 1912 to have begun his major league career with three starts of at least six innings with one or zero earned runs allowed and at least seven strikeouts.[26]

Rodríguez suffered a dislocated kneecap in March 2016.[27] He began the 2016 season on the disabled list, making his first start on May 31.[28] He struggled, pitching to a 8.59 ERA, before he was optioned to Pawtucket.[29]

Pitching style

Rodríguez is naturally right-handed. He began to throw with his left arm when he broke his right arm at the age of seven.[1] He throws a fastball that ranges between 90 to 94 miles per hour (145 to 151 km/h). He also throws a changeup that ranges from 83 to 85 miles per hour (134 to 137 km/h), and a slider that he throws between 82 to 85 miles per hour (132 to 137 km/h).[1][30] Following the trade to the Red Sox, Rodriguez worked with Bob Kipper, Portland's pitching coach, to help him improve his changeup.[31]

Personal

Rodriguez is the third of four children. His father works in construction. He played baseball, soccer, and basketball in his youth.[32]

He tattooed his mother's name, Magales, on his left forearm in 2011. He also tattooed his surname on his back.[32]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Orioles prospect Eduardo Rodriguez builds for 'future' success". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Prospect Rodriguez has stuff, confidence to succeed". Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Venezuelan pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez has potential to be big league starter one day". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Steve Melewski: Taking a look at a top O's pitching prospect not named Bundy or Gausman". MASNsports. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Steve Melewski: Orioles planning to move Eduardo Rodriguez to Double-A (plus Gomez's milestone win)". MASNsports. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Rodriguez, Urrutia representing O's at Futures Game". Mlb.mlb.com. June 26, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Eduardo Rodriguez's return will bolster Bowie's strong rotation". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Steve Melewski: Eduardo Rodriguez will get the start in AFL championship game". MASNsports. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Steve Melewski: O's Eduardo Rodriguez with a strong outing in AFL title game (Surprise wins 2–0)". MASNsports. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "On Baseball: Sox dealt Miller but may have a keeper in Rodriguez". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Orioles' Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman slide in MLB.com prospect rankings". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Steve Melewski: Eduardo Rodriguez had some struggles in big league camp". MASNsports. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  13. ↑ Baltimore Sun (March 12, 2014). "Orioles LHP Eduardo Rodriguez realizes experience means more than results". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Red Sox Prospect Eduardo Rodriguez Learned 'A Lot' From Johan Santana – Boston Red Sox – NESN.com". NESN.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  15. ↑ Baltimore Sun (July 31, 2014). "Orioles acquire LHP Andrew Miller from Red Sox for prospect Eduardo Rodriguez". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  16. ↑ Michael Silverman. "Eduardo Rodriguez: Red Sox' next ace from Dan Duquette?". bostonherald.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  17. ↑ "red sox – Did Red Sox land their future ace at deadline? Revisiting trade for head-turner Eduardo Rodriguez – WEEI – Alex Speier". weei.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  18. ↑ Baltimore Sun (March 7, 2015). "Ex-Orioles pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez throws three perfect innings in Red Sox win – Baltimore Sun". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Red Sox like what they're seeing from Eduardo Rodriguez". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  20. ↑ Bob Sutton. "PawSox 4, Bulls 2: It's winner-take-all for the Governors' Cup on Saturday". providencejournal.com. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  21. ↑ Brian MacPherson. "Red Sox add four prospects to 40-man roster". providencejournal.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  22. ↑ Abraham, Peter. "Eduardo Rodriguez shines as Red Sox top Rangers". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  23. ↑ Roger Clemens MLB career. BaseballReference.com. Retrieved on May 30, 2015.
  24. ↑ Billy Rohr MLB career. BaseballReference.com. Retrieved on May 30, 2015.
  25. ↑ Red Sox rookie Eduardo Rodriguez spoils Josh Hamilton's homecoming. ESPN.com. Retrieved on May 30, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Losses come at high price for Red Sox, Tigers". ESPN. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  27. ↑ Mastrodonato, Jason (March 2, 2016). "Farrell hopeful Eduardo Rodriguez will be ready when Red Sox open season". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  28. ↑
  29. ↑ Rogers, Joe (June 28, 2016). "Red Sox hold team meeting after Dustin Pedroia chews out Eduardo Rodriguez". Sporting News. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Rodriguez projects as back-end starter". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  31. ↑ Scott Lauber. "Red Sox' Eduardo Rodriguez at head of class". bostonherald.com. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  32. 1 2 Smith, Christopher (June 1, 2015). "Boston Red Sox's Eduardo Rodriguez is Mr. Popular: Here are 10 things you need to know about him". MassLive. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
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