CONQUERING COVID: Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez details his scary battle with the virus

BOSTON — Eduardo Rodriguez knew something was different.

The headaches, high fever and nausea were unlike anything he’d experienced before. Walking from his bedroom to the kitchen or taking a shower required significant effort.

The Red Sox left-hander soberly recounted his battle with COVID-19 during his first media briefing of Summer Camp on Sunday. Rodriguez wore a mask while he relayed his experience, a 27-year-old professional athlete who was suddenly [...]

BOSTON — Eduardo Rodriguez knew something was different.

The headaches, high fever and nausea were unlike anything he’d experienced before. Walking from his bedroom to the kitchen or taking a shower required significant effort.

The Red Sox left-hander soberly recounted his battle with COVID-19 during his first media briefing of Summer Camp on Sunday. Rodriguez wore a mask while he relayed his experience, a 27-year-old professional athlete who was suddenly stricken at his Florida home.

"The first four days were the worst days," Rodriguez said. "I felt all the symptoms. I would wake up in the morning, get out of bed and feel like I was 100 years old.

"My body was tired all the time. Throwing up. Headaches. All the symptoms."

Rodriguez was set to serve as Boston’s ace entering this shortened 2020 season. He exceeded 200 innings pitched and 200 strikeouts for the first time last year, finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting. Rodriguez will open the campaign on the injured list instead after throwing his first bullpen session on Saturday.

"The hardest part was he still wanted to be that guy who pitched Opening Day," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "In my mind I was thinking the timing doesn’t work out well for that. I didn’t tell him that at the beginning, but I told him it was going to be very difficult.

"That was probably the hardest part — how he can maintain his strength. If he’s telling me he wants to start, he’s going to have to do some things that really, with a virus, it doesn’t allow you to do."

Rodriguez left spring training for Miami when baseball’s industry-wide shutdown was implemented in March. He’s not sure when or where he contracted the virus, insisting he only made trips to the local grocery store and a nearby workout facility. Rodriguez traveled to Boston earlier this week and was finally cleared on Saturday after going through the club’s intake screening.

"I’ve got to say thank God that I’m here and that I’m available to throw," Rodriguez said. "The way that I felt yesterday was really good."

Rodriguez was unable to perform any baseball activities during the first two weeks after he was diagnosed. He eventually progressed to riding a stationary bike and throwing into a net in his backyard. Rodriguez’s wife, Catherine, has also been diagnosed with and recovered from COVID-19.

"I was one of those people who got hit really hard," Rodriguez said. "I would say you’ve got to wear your mask all the time, wash your hands and keep your distance. If you’re one of those guys who got hit really hard, you’re going to have a hard time doing daily stuff."

Rodriguez was one of four Red Sox players who tested positive and the second to make his return. Bobby Dalbec was asymptomatic and has been working out with the team for a full week. Josh Taylor returned to the club on Saturday and Darwinzon Hernandez is close to doing the same.

"The teams that will get into the playoffs are the teams that basically stay healthy and stay away from this," Roenicke said. "I think we’re doing a pretty good job of trying to keep the guys safe. But we can do as much as we can — still, something can happen."

Rodriguez received a steady stream of text messages and FaceTime calls from his teammates while he recovered at home. He also heard regularly from David Price, who was traded along with Mookie Betts from Boston to the Dodgers during the offseason. Price has elected to opt out of participating in the 2020 season with Los Angeles.

"He was texting almost every day — ‘How do you feel? How are you doing, bro?’ " Rodriguez said. "I never asked about why he decided not to play. I respect that. That’s his decision, and I respect it."

Rodriguez’s fellow Red Sox staff members watched him throw a 25-pitch bullpen session. Nathan Eovaldi will take his place on Friday against the Orioles, an opportunity Rodriguez admitted was disappointing to miss. He’ll meet with Roenicke, pitching coach Dave Bush and the club’s medical staff to determine his next steps forward.

"It’s kind of hard mentally when you can’t go out there with everybody," Rodriguez said. "For me it was really hard to get the coronavirus and not be available for Opening Day."

"He’s on a mission now to get himself in shape as fast as he can," Roenicke said. "We’ll get his arm built up and have him be active as fast as we can."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25