The Detroit Tigers signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year deal in the offseason with the expectation that the veteran pitcher would provide stability to a very young pitching rotation.
However, it's been a rough go of it for the 29-year-old, both on and off the field. Rodriguez has not pitched in the majors since May 18. And it doesn't seem like the former Boston Red Sox hurler will be returning soon.
Rodriguez has been on the restricted list since June 13. Following a rehab start in Triple-A Toledo, he informed the Tigers he wouldn't return due to personal issues. It was later revealed the 29-year-old was undergoing marital issues.
"E-Rod" has not been paid as per MLB rules. Furthermore, he does not count towards Detroit's 40-man roster, and the veteran southpaw does not gain MLB service time.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch spoke to the media on Friday and mentioned the team has yet to hear from their veteran pitcher.
"From what I know, there's been no movement whatsoever and no communication," manager A.J. Hinch said. "It's been pretty quiet. We've respected his privacy and just tried to wait for his camp to give us some direction on what's ahead. So, we don't know."
The lack of communication may prompt concerns over Rodriguez's safety. Thankfully, Hinch said there were no concerns and that E-Rod was OK.
"We know he's safe," Hinch said. "We know he's home with his kids. We know he's back in Florida. But it's been pretty quiet. All we can do is move forward with what we know, and right now, it's the group that we have."
"We want him to be OK," Hinch continued. "We want him to be in a good place. We want everything to settle around him. We can't really make any considerations until we know exactly what's at hand. We'll wait for him to open up when he wants."
At this point, it doesn't look like the 29-year-old will return to Detroit soon. And that may be for the best, as of now.
It's great to hear that Rodriguez and his family aren't in danger and that they're doing OK despite the lack of communication with the team. Hopefully, E-Rod gets everything in order and can return to the diamond on his terms when he's ready to do so.
