Red Sox lefty Rodriguez scratched for opener with 'dead arm'

Updated Mar. 27, 2021 12:23 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Boston Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez will have to wait a little longer before returning to a big league mound.

The Red Sox on Friday scratched Rodriguez as their opening day starter because of a “dead arm." Nathan Eovaldi will instead face the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on April 1.

Manager Alex Cora said Rodriguez missed a bullpen session on Wednesday, two days after lasting just two innings in a spring training start. He played catch Thursday and felt fine, and Cora said Rodriguez would have a bullpen session on Saturday.

Rodriguez went 19-6 for Boston. He had been set to start the 2020 season opener before it was delayed by the coronavirus outbreak. The 27-year-old contracted COVID-19 and related heart problems that kept him from pitching at all last season.

Cora said the current issue is unrelated to the myocarditis.

“It’s just dead arm,” he said.

Cora said Rodriguez pushed to make start the opener, but the team took the decision out of his hands.

“Like I told him yesterday, I said, ‘The way you throw the ball, the way your career is going, at one point in your career you will be an opening day starter — maybe more than once,’” Cora said.

Eovaldi started the opener in Rodriguez’s place last year will do so again next week, Cora said. To prepare, he will have two more bullpen sessions before the team breaks camp in Fort Myers, Florida.

“He’s built up as far as the pitches and all that,” Cora said. “He’s ready to go. It’s just a matter of how we manage his week.”

TIGERS 5, PIRATES 2

Matthew Boyd allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings for Detroit, striking out six and giving up five hits and a walk. After struggling in 2020, the right-hander has looked sharp in camp, posting a 2.45 ERA over five starts. Robbie Grossman homered for the Tigers, and 2020 second-round draft pick Dillon Dingler had two hits.

Colin Moran homered for Pittsburgh. Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman each had a double.

RAYS 7, RED SOX 3

Yandy Díaz hit the first of four homers for Tampa Bay and had two hits. Mike Zunino, Willy Adames and Tristan Gray also homered, and Josh Fleming pitched one-run ball over 3 2/3 innings of relief, striking out five.

Top Boston prospect Jeter Downs hit his second homer of the spring, raising his average to .357. Nick Yorke, last year’s first-round draft pick, hit a double for his first extra-base hit in big league camp.

REDS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 3

Cincinnati star Joey Votto played for the first time since testing positive on March 10. He went 0 for 2 and struck out twice, and also walked and scored run. It's still uncertain whether the first baseman will be ready to play on opening day next Thursday.

Jesse Winkler led off the game with a home run and Alex Blandino hit two RBI doubles. Wade Miley worked four innings in the start, giving up a run on four hits.

Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner gave up six runs on four hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven. Eduardo Escobar and Josh Rojas each homered. The Reds released former NL batting champion Dee Strange-Gordon.

INDIANS 5, ROCKIES 4

Cleveland starter Logan Allen gave up three hits in five scoreless innings. José Ramírez homered in the first and Owen Miller added a three-run shot in the eighth.

Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela allowed two hits over the first five innings. Colton Welker had two hits to raise his batting average to .366.

GIANTS 5, CUBS 5 (9 INNINGS)

Kyle Hendricks, set to start on opening day for Chicago, took a line drive off his quad, came out briefly and then returned to retire the 10 in a row. Hendricks worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out four. Joc Pederson homered and Jason Heyward tripled.

Austin Slater hit a three-run homer, Brandon Crawford doubled twice and Joey Bart hit a tying double in the eighth. Nick Tropeano opened the game for the Giants and worked two innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

WHITE SOX 7, BREWERS 5

Chicago starter Carlos Rodón struck out six over 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Liam Hendricks struck out all three batters he faced in the sixth. José Abreu hit a two-run single and scored on a home run by Yoán Moncada. Zack Collins hit his third home run.

Freddy Peralta struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings for Milwaukee, permitting five runs and six hits. Devin Williams struck out two in the seventh. Josh Hader retired the side with a strikeout in the eighth. Keston Hiura hit his third home run in four days. The Brewers released veteran pitchers Jordan Zimmermann and Brad Boxberger, but want to resign both to minor league deals.

MARLINS 9, ASTROS 0

Trevor Rogers, Miami’s top left-handed prospect, outdueled Houston’s opening day starter Zack Greinke, allowing two hits and a walk in 5 2/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. Starling Marte had an RBI triple in the third, and rookie Jazz Chisholm’s RBI single ignited a six-run seventh. The Marlins had 11 players get one hit.

Greinke struggled in his fourth start, surrendering three runs, five hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. Greinke was pulled with a runner on third and two outs in the third inning, returning to the mound to start the fourth. The Astros had just two hits.

BRAVES 7, TWINS 6

Kenta Maeda made his final start before taking the mound on opening day for Minnesota, firing four shutout innings with three hits and four strikeouts. Starter J.A. Happ followed Maeda and struggled, giving up six runs — five earned — on 10 hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings. Kyle Garlick, Willians Astudillo and Miguel Sano each hit a solo home run. Garlick’s homer was his fifth.

Alex Jackson had a two-run single for Atlanta. Pablo Sandoval went 3 for 3 and is batting .429 in his first spring with the Braves. Ender Inciarte had an RBI double and Ehire Adrianza followed with a two-run single in a four-run seventh against Happ.

NATIONALS 7, METS 3

Josh Bell hit his sixth home run in his first spring with Washington, a solo shot in a two-run eighth against reliever Robert Gsellman. Bell also had the first hit for the Nats, leading off the fourth with a single and scoring on Josh Harrison's hit. Harrison scored on a two-out single by Hernán Pérez. Luis García had a two-run homer — his second — during a three-run ninth.

David Peterson made his third start for New York, allowing two runs, four hits and a walk in six innings. Jeff McNeil doubled in the second, scoring on a two-out single by James McCann. Pete Alonso led off the sixth with a single, scoring on a triple by Dominic Smith. J.D. Davis singled in Smith.

ORIOLES 4, YANKEES 1

New York closer Aroldis Chapman was booed off the field after allowing three runs, the final two on wild pitches. Chapman and catcher Gary Sánchez both heard it from fans in Tampa, Florida, as Chapman allowed three hits and a walk while retiring just one batter. Opening day starter Gerrit Cole was sharp, pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits and five strikeouts. Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner had doubles as the Yankees managed just three hits.

Jorge López made his third start in his sixth appearance for Baltimore, yielding two hits and a walk in five shutout innings. Austin Hays had an RBI single to ignite a three-run seventh against Chapman.

BLUE JAYS 6, PHILLIES 5

Bryce Harper led off the fifth inning with his third home run for Philadelphia, igniting a four-run inning. Harper also walked twice and is batting .333 this spring. Scott Kingery had a two-run double in the rally. Chase Anderson made his fourth start and fifth appearance, allowing a run, two hits and four walks in four innings.

Hyun Jin Ryu was roughed up in his third start for Toronto, giving up three runs, eight hits and a walk, striking out five in four innings. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his second home run — a solo shot leading off a four-run eighth that tied the score. Joe Panik doubled with two outs in the second, scoring on Danny Jansen's single.

ATHLETICS 11, DODGERS 0 (8)

Oakland stung Clayton Kershaw for nine runs, eight earned, in 3 1/3 innings in the Los Angeles left-hander's final tuneup before opening day. Kershaw has allowed 14 runs over his past two starts, but he says he is healthy and still ready to start the season.

Cole Irvin allowed one hit over six innings, striking out 10 for the A's. The 27-year-old right-hander has made a strong impression in his first camp with Oakland, posting a 1.00 ERA over five appearances and 18 innings. Lou Trivino and Bryce Conley followed with an inning each in a two-hit shutout. Elvis Andrus had two of the Athletics' 13 hits.

RANGERS 8, ROYALS 1

David Dahl hit his first homer of the spring and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two hits for Texas. The Rangers' 1-2 hitters have looked sharp this spring, with leadoff man Kiner-Falefa batting .385 and Dahl batting .323. Taylor Hearn allowed a run in three innings, striking out five with three hits and three walks.

Kansas City's Jackson Kowar allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings, surrendering five hits and three walks. Whit Merrifield had two hits, including a double.

PADRES 6, MARINERS 3

Wil Myers homered during a three-hit, four-RBI game, and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an RBI double for San Diego. Ryan Weathers gave up three runs, three hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, striking out four. The promising 21-year-old has a 7.11 ERA in five games this spring. Lefty reliever Drew Pomeranz struck out two during a perfect inning in his return from elbow soreness.

Marco Gonzales struggled in his final tuneup before the regular season starts, allowing six runs, nine hits and two walks in five innings for Seattle. Ty France hit a double, but the Mariners totaled just three hits.

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