TEMPE, Ariz -- Grayson Rodriguez couldn’t help but crack a wide smile when asked if he feels any different throwing after having bone spurs removed from his right elbow last August.
The right-hander had been dealing with those pesky bone spurs since he was pitching at Double-A in 2022, so it was a huge relief to finally have them removed, especially because he felt they eventually affected his mechanics and caused him to suffer lat injuries in both 2024 and ’25. The 26-year-old has been throwing bullpen sessions this week at Angels camp with no issues, including his last one on Friday. He's noticed a difference in the way he feels.
“It feels a lot better,” Rodriguez said with a grin. “I'm pretty excited. Obviously, not pitching at all last year, it was terrible. But it just makes me twice as excited for this season, to go out there and try to make 30 starts.”
Acquiring Rodriguez from the Orioles in a trade that sent left fielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore was the biggest and most intriguing move of the offseason for the Angels. Rodriguez has had success in the Majors and has frontline starter potential if he can stay healthy.
He’s also under team control for four years, but the Angels seem eager to see what he can do right away. He’s not on any sort of restriction innings-wise despite not pitching in the Majors last year and making 23 starts in 2023 and 20 in ’24.
“Like [general manager] Perry [Minasian] says, we're coming out here to win,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “There’s no limitations that I know right now. If he feels good, he's gonna pitch.”
Suzuki, though, did say that Rodriguez will have to earn his spot in the rotation this spring along with right-hander Alek Manoah, who also didn’t pitch in the big leagues last year after coming off Tommy John surgery. The only locks are right-hander Jose Soriano, and lefties Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers, but Rodriguez said it hasn’t changed his mentality.
“I haven't really focused on that,” Rodriguez said. “Just getting my work done. Control what you control, and everything will kind of handle itself. Obviously, I expect myself to be in that rotation. But that's not really what I'm worried about right now.”
Minasian said they’ll continue to monitor Rodriguez this spring because of his injury concerns, but added he acquired him because he brings so much potential to the rotation. Rodriguez, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, had a 4.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 42 walks in '23, then posted a 3.86 ERA with 130 strikeouts and 36 walks in 116 2/3 frames in '24. He was also MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall prospect in '22 and No. 7 in '23.
“We feel like he is one of the better young starters in baseball,” Minasian said. “He's got to prove that he's healthy, but if he is, he'll be primed right there for the rotation. He’s somebody we feel like has significant upside.”
Rodriguez said he’s excited to be with a new club and has been impressed by the facilities and the coaching staff under Suzuki. He especially has enjoyed working with pitching coach Mike Maddux, whom Rodriguez called a legend. He said he grew up watching the Rangers in his native Texas, so Maddux was the first pitching coach he’d ever heard about.
“The coaching staff is awesome,” Rodriguez said. “I'm not gonna say it's surprising, but it's definitely better than I would have thought. It's a great group we've got here. Obviously, it's just pitchers and catchers right now, but it's been a phenomenal atmosphere, and it gets me really excited for the season.”
How Rodriguez fares this spring is a major storyline for the Angels, but he said he doesn’t feel any extra pressure with his new team. He just wants to show he can be healthy and effective, which would be a huge boost for a rotation that combined for a 4.91 ERA that ranked as the third-worst mark in the Majors last year.
“Right now, the only things I'm worried about are making sure I can go out there and make bullpen [sessions] and start facing hitters, and all the rest will just take care of itself,” Rodriguez said. “I'm preparing for a season, just like I normally would. Just go out there and throw the ball every fifth day.”