Angels To Activate Grayson Rodriguez On Sunday
The Angels introduced Grayson Rodriguez as their scheduled starter for Sunday’s recreation with the Dodgers, that means that Anaheim will formally activate the right-hander from the 15-day injured listing tomorrow. A bout of shoulder irritation and “dead arm” soreness throughout Spring Training resulted in Rodriguez opening the season on the IL, and delaying each his 2026 debut and his Angels debut.
Beyond these milestones, tomorrow may even mark Rodriguez’s first look in a Major League recreation since July 31, 2024. Rodriguez had a 3.86 ERA, 26.5% strikeout charge, and seven.3% stroll charge over 116 2/3 innings for the Orioles that season (his second MLB marketing campaign) earlier than discomfort in his proper lat/teres space introduced his 12 months to an early finish. He then did not pitch a single inning within the majors or minors in 2025 on account of a lat pressure and a number of cases of elbow soreness, with the ultimate consequence being an elbow debridement surgical procedure final August.
Injuries however, it was nonetheless shocking when the Orioles traded Rodriguez to the Angels final November in a one-for-one swap for Taylor Ward. While Ward has been a helpful bat for Baltimore, he’s a free agent this winter, whereas Rodriguez is a former prime prospect who’s managed via 2029. There’s loads of upside for the Halos if Rodriguez can get wholesome, although it clearly is not an excellent signal that his tenure in Orange County instantly started with an IL stint.
Yusei Kikuchi es still sidelined at the very least via May on account of shoulder irritation, however with Rodriguez now approaching his return, the Angels’ rotation is a step nearer to his first-choice state. Jose Soriano is having fun with a improbable season, and Rodriguez will be a part of Reid Detmers, Walbert Urenaand Jack Kochanowicz as the remainder of the beginning 5.
The outlook is not fairly nearly as good for one more Angels pitcher making an attempt to return after an extended layoff. According to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Ben Joyce‘s rehab project has been slowed on account of some discomfort in his surgically-repaired proper shoulder. An MRI got here again clear, nevertheless, so it would not seem as if Joyce is coping with something however regular soreness.
“We got a little flare-up….It’s just part of the process after a shoulder surgery“Joyce said.”Just form of has ups and downs. But we have been fairly optimistic concerning the outcomes. Nothing structurally flawed, it is simply working via just a little soreness proper now.”
It was virtually precisely a 12 months in the past that Joyce underwent the shoulder process that ended his 2025 marketing campaign after 5 appearances. Joyce started this season on the 15-day IL however will in all probability be moved to the 60-day IL the subsequent time Los Angeles wants a 40-man roster spot, as he’s already approaching 60 days on the sidelines.
