ANAHEIM -- Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez’s Angels tenure will begin on the injured list.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki announced Sunday that Rodriguez will start the 2026 season on the injured list, as he’s been dealing with dead arm since a Spring Training start on March 11. Despite the ominous news, Suzuki emphasized that they are being cautious with Rodriguez.
“We're going to be careful with him to a point,” Suzuki said. “Right now we're just going to slow-play it a little bit, work him back slowly and we don't want to rush him.”
The 26-year-old has an injury history already. He’s had lat issues in the past and has not pitched in an MLB game since July 2024, due to having surgery on his right elbow to remove bone spurs.
Rodriguez was traded from the Orioles to the Angels in the offseason for outfielder Taylor Ward. Once a top pitching prospect in baseball, he showed improvement in his second year in the big leagues, posting a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts before undergoing the elbow procedure.
Despite being placed on the injured list, Rodriguez is still doing baseball activities. The injury history, paired with four years of club control, is a good reason for the Angels to slow-play him.
“He's been playing catch,” Suzuki said. “He's been doing his strengthening exercises, doing all those things. And he's feeling good, physically. So [it’s] more of a cautious type of thing.”
As for what this means for the Angels’ rotation to start the season, Suzuki said right-handers Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson will fill out the final two spots.
“They had great camps,” Suzuki said. “They've been working their butts off, and we feel they deserve it. They earned it.”
Both made the Angels out of camp last season and struggled in their big league stints, resulting in demotions to the Minors.
Kochanowicz pitched to a 6.81 ERA in 23 starts and was up and down from the Minors. He’s looked sharp this spring, posting a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and four walks.
Johnson broke Angels camp in the bullpen last season, but was sent down to High-A Tri-City to be a starter in early May. He has a 3.78 ERA in 16 2/3 innings this spring with 18 strikeouts and four walks. The 2024 second-round pick is also ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 2 prospect in the Angels’ farm system.
Flame-throwing right-hander Walbert Urena was another pitcher in the mix to fill out the rotation. Suzuki said that Urena will make the big league roster as the bullpen’s long reliever, but also said, “I think he can do a little bit of everything.”
The 22-year-old turned heads this spring with his triple-digit fastball that helped him strike out 14 batters in 15 2/3 Cactus League innings.
The Angels’ bullpen now features Urena, Ryan Zeferjahn, Chase Silseth, Sam Bachman, Brent Suter, Jordan Romano, Drew Pomeranz and Kirby Yates. Suzuki has yet to make a decision on who the closer is, but is open to the idea of having multiple pitchers that can close ballgames. Yates and Romano have closing experience, and Pomeranz is coming off a great season with the Cubs.
“Is it easier to have one guy you can name closer? Absolutely,” Suzuki said. “But I think right now, we're just seeing how it plays out, maybe matchups are better, maybe naming a closer is better, and I think as we kind of get closer, even maybe into the season, we’ll see.”