Joely Rodriguez is unlikely to pitch once more this season

Purple Sox

Rodriguez’s injury-riddled season could possibly be coming to an finish.

Boston Purple Sox reliever Joely Rodriguez suffered a setback in his damage rehab just lately, placing his standing for the remainder of the season in query.

Rodriguez had been on the 15-day damage record with proper hip irritation since July 31. He felt one thing in his hip flare up whereas throwing a bullpen session, which meant the left-hander’s restoration would take for much longer than the 15 days the Purple Sox had anticipated.

When requested if there was a risk that Rodriguez would miss the rest of the 2023 season, supervisor Alex Cora didn’t mince his phrases.

“Yeah, there’s a very good likelihood,” Cora stated.

It’s unlucky information for the Purple Sox, who believed that Rodriguez was progressing effectively in his rehab.

“The best way he was throwing the ball, we felt actually, actually good the place he was,” Cora stated. “The speed was going up and the separation between the fastball and the changeup, you would see it on the swing.”

The Purple Sox signed Rodriguez to a $2 million deal in November, making him one among Boston’s first free agent acquisitions of this previous offseason. They had been relying on him to contribute as one among their solely left-handed relievers, however a myriad of accidents prevented that from taking place. 

Rodriguez began the season on the 15-day damage record with an indirect pressure and made his season debut six weeks later. Roughly one month later, shoulder irritation put him again on the 15-day IL, and the Purple Sox activated him a month earlier than his hip introduced him proper again.

Rodriguez has registered a 6.55 ERA with a 1.75 WHIP within the 11 innings he has pitched this season, and opponents are batting .289 in opposition to him. In his absence, a number of left-handed relievers resembling Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy have cemented themselves as mainstays within the Purple Sox’ bullpen. They grew to become the deadly southpaws the Purple Sox anticipated Rodriguez to be.

Although Rodriguez might miss the remainder of the season, the Purple Sox are nonetheless hoping to return him to type.

“Now we simply have to ensure we get him proper and see the place it takes us,” Cora stated.