When Will Eduardo Rodriguez Return and Be Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

The Arizona Diamondbacks added veteran left-hander in the offseason hoping to add depth to their rotation. But the oft-injured pitcher has yet to make a start for the Snakes as he was placed on the IL back on March 19th with a shoulder strain.

Rodriguez is coming off a successful 2023 campaign in Detroit in which he won 13 games with a solid 3.30 ERA.

The Diamondbacks could really use some help on the mound right now as their number two starter Merrill Kelly has been shelved with a shoulder injury for several weeks, forcing the team to sign another veteran lefty, Jordan Montgomery, and features youngsters Ryne Nelson and Slade Cecconi with mixed results.

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Eduardo Rodriguez Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

E-Rod was first placed on the 15-day IL in March during Spring Training and resumed a throwing program on March 28th. However, he reported soreness in his shoulder after several weeks of throwing and the Diamondbacks transferred him to the 60-day IL.

Rodriguez was shut down for a month, but a recent MRI taken by the team has shown that his shoulder is healing and he's been cleared to begin a new throwing program.

Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez, two of the first four in the Arizona rotation, are on the 60-day injured list, and Zac Gallen has been slowed by a hamstring injury. https://t.co/0OhBcu0V9P pic.twitter.com/v7z870pAh9

— Forbes SportsMoney (@ForbesSports) May 5, 2024

He's eligible to come off the IL on May 25th, but he's unlikely to be ready to return by then. A conservative estimate would probably be another month until we see Rodriguez make his Arizona debut.

Eduardo Rodriguez Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Assuming that Rodriguez can return to the form that he has flashed over the last several years, he's worth a look in deep leagues when he's finally ready to return. But there's no reason to stash him now as his upside is capped a bit and his injury history is troubling, to say the least.

His days of being a big strikeout pitcher are in the past, but that doesn't mean that he can't still be effective. He has a number of different pitches that he can deploy vs. right-handed and left-handed hitters to induce weak contact and whiffs.

Eduardo Rodriguez isn't going to blow you away with velocity or top level stuff. But what he does have is a deep, cohesive arsenal. All 5 of his pitches serve a legitimate purpose, and only 2 of them allowed a wOBA over .300 (FF, CT). pic.twitter.com/TskdhjL7Tw

— J (@StromsLab) December 7, 2023

He's most likely just a middle-of-the-rotation innings eater, but with a solid offense behind him, he could be a nice source of wins without hurting your ratios. Keep an eye on his return date once we have more information. With the lack of pitching depth around the league, he will make for an interesting add off the wire when the time comes.

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