(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Bradish was hit by a come-backer in his right foot, and was diagnosed with a contusion.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list and will miss about two starts.
That’s the time top prospect Grayson Rodriguez will have to impress the world and show why he is widely regarded as MLB’s top pitching prospect.
Yes, that’s right: Rodriguez was the chosen one by the Orioles to fill in for Bradish while he is gone.
Gas is on the rise. pic.twitter.com/FuXPvJD3qy
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 5, 2023
It was a bit surprising, but he will be taking the ball for Baltimore on Friday as they face the Texas Rangers.
People, of course, have reacted positively to the news:
Good luck to this young man, Grayson Rodriguez, as he makes his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles today in Arlington. I had the pleasure of not only writing about him multiple times but also had him in my class when I did my student teaching when he was in the fourth grade. pic.twitter.com/FsOHx0BqjM
— Brandon Ogden (@BrandonOSports) April 5, 2023
grayson rodriguez debut bump day pic.twitter.com/WBOwvDUjP1
— fpb (@frontpagebirds) April 5, 2023
IT IS GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ SZN https://t.co/Fq1PWRNEcI
— jego (@JEGOblocks) April 5, 2023
Rodriguez was lined up to start today after making his first start of the season for Triple-A Norfolk on Friday.
That start was rather pedestrian for a guy of his talent level: in four frames, he conceded three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks.
He did strike out three and generated eight swings and misses, touching 99 mph with his prodigious heater.
Rodriguez is ready to dominate MLB hitters now: despite the rocky opening outing, Triple-A is not much of a challenge for him.
Last year, he pitched at that level for 69.2 innings and had a 2.20 ERA and 97 strikeouts.
Service-time concerns were the only reason why Rodriguez didn’t make his MLB debut last year, but he has nothing to prove in minor league baseball anymore.
It’s unclear what the Orioles plans are with Rodriguez after Bradish (a young and talented starter himself) returns, but he should be in their rotation getting some MLB experience and helping the O’s win some games.
. @Orioles fans, consider the following:
Your offense has hit 11 HR through 5 games, tied for the most in the AL.
Your team is 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts.
And Grayson Rodriguez is about to make his @MLB debut.
Enjoy! @MLBPipeline @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 5, 2023
It’s a good day to be an Orioles fan.
The post Fans React To Today’s Grayson Rodriguez News appeared first on The Cold Wire.