Eduardo Rodriguez has been announced as Sunday’s starter against Tampa Bay – even though Rodriguez didn’t make the typical minor league rehab start prior to the announcement.
BOSTON — Even though Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez were dominant in their first starts of the season, they both knew their run in the starting rotation had a shelf life.
The first chip fell with Velazquez entering Thursday’s game in relief and Eduardo Rodriguez announced as Sunday’s starter against Tampa Bay – even though Rodriguez didn’t make the typical minor league rehab start prior to the announcement.
“We felt that he was making strides in every outing,” Alex Cora said. “His extension is where we want him to be. His knee, he reacted fine after each one of them. The last went six innings, so I think he’s ready to go.”
Rodriguez was put on the 10-day disabled list after undergoing surgery on his right knee in the off-season. That’s of course still the number one concern surrounding the lefty, whether or not he can land comfortably on the leg.
“Every time I don’t have a problem with my knee, I was able to go out there and compete without thinking (about) the knee.” Rodriguez said. “And that’s what I’m going to have now, just go out there now and not think about my knee. That’s what I think has been the thing when I’m pitching really good, just thinking (about) the way I’m pitching the game.”
Cora reflected a similar sentiment: that the lefty seems at ease with his physical state.
“He’s a lot more confident now that when I met him when I talked to him in Miami, that was late November, early December,” Cora said. “At that point, honestly, I was like, this is going to take a while. But in January he did everything. He showed up to Fort Myers early. He worked hard.
“I’ve been mentioned that trio of David (Price), Chris (Sale) and Rick (Porcello), they’ve been pushing him hard and he wanted to be part of what we’re doing. And all the credit goes to him; he works hard. Pedro Martinez, too, just being around him the first part of spring training helped him out a lot. Looking forward to put him in to pitch tomorrow.’
Though Rodriguez never had any real-game minor league action leading up to this point, neither he nor Cora feels that’s an issue
“I mean, it (doesn’t) matter where you turn, you go out there and throw the pitches like you’re going to (in Boston),” Rodriguez said. “Even when you throw in the Dominican (Republic) or anywhere you throw, you’re thinking the (same) way when you’re facing big league hitters.
“No matter who I was facing . . . no matter what they do, if I throw a pitch and they hit a homer or something like that, I’m just think (what’s) the right pitch I have to throw over there because it’s so much different from when you face a minor leaguer and you face the big leagues.
“That’s (one thing) I’ve learned from these guys, too. They’ve been telling me, ‘no matter who you face over there, you just to out there and try think like the way you’re going to face the big league hitters.”
It appears he’s not the only lefty making his return to the starting rotation, with Drew Pomeranz set to make a rehab start with Pawtucket Sunday. That means Johnson is headed for the bullpen.
Pomeranz was put on the 10-day disabled list after suffering a left forearm flexor strain that forced him out of first spring training start. He initially stated his concern was “very low” when it first started, the Red Sox have taken their time with Pomeranz, making sure not to re-aggravate his throwing arm.
Cora expects Pomeranz to throw five or six innings with Pawtucket on Sunday, and if everything goes well that could be enough for Pomeranz to rejoin the Red Sox, according to Cora.