In 2019, Eduardo Rodriguez was 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA to finish sixth in the AL Cy Young voting. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
A year after a bout with COVID-19 denied him a chance to be the Red Sox’s Opening Day starter, Eduardo Rodriguez is getting a do-over.
Manager Alex Cora made the announcement Wednesday following Boston’s 9-1 exhibition win over Minnesota. Rodriguez threw an efficient 55 pitches, striking out six and giving up two hits and one earned run over five innings.
“Indeed it’s going to be Eduardo. He’s one of the best out there,” Cora said of the left-hander. “He had a great season in ’19. Last year he wasn’t able to pitch for obvious reasons. What he’s shown now, he’s healthy and he’s ready to go. It was just a matter of time.”
Boston opens its schedule April 1 against the Baltimore Orioles.
Rodriguez went 13-5 for the Boston team that won a franchise-record 108 games and the World Series in 2018. He came into the next year at the bottom of the rotation behind Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi.
But Rodriguez had the best season of the group, going 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA to finish sixth in the AL Cy Young voting. He made his major league-leading 34th start on the final day of the season with a chance at 20 wins, but did not figure in the decision. Still, he finished with career bests in wins, ERA, starts, innings (203 1/3) and strikeouts (213).
With Sale recovering from Tommy John surgery, Rodriguez was in line to start on Opening dDay in 2020 before testing positive for the coronavirus and being diagnosed with inflammation in his heart muscles. He said he couldn’t even complete a 25-pitch workout without feeling tired; on Aug. 1, just one week into the season, he was shut down for the year.
After putting the extended rest and recovery time to good use, he’s ready to take advantage of a chance he’s yet to have during his five major league seasons.
Speaking prior to Cora naming him the starter, Rodriguez told reporters he would be honored to get the ball in the opener.
“If given the opportunity I’m going to be so happy to do it because that’s something that everybody wants to do one time in their career,” he said. “If I have the opportunity this year I’m going to really appreciate it. I’m going to love it.”
THE RED SOX sent pitcher Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran to the minor leagues following Wednesday’s game, all but ensuring that two of the organization’s top young pitchers will not start the year in the big leagues.
Houck was optioned to the alternate training site in Worcester while Duran and six other players — catcher Kole Cottam, pitchers Daniel Gossett, Stephen Gonsalvez, first basemen Triston Casas and Josh Ockimey and infielder/outfielder Yairo Muñoz — were reassigned to the minors.
Casas, the organization’s consensus No. 1 prospect, was never a contender to make the Opening Day roster and will likely start the year with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.
Muñoz, who played 12 games in the majors last year, had an outside chance as making the team in a bench role.
Houck, who posted an 0.53 ERA and struck out 21 batters in 17 innings in three starts at the end of the season, entered the winter appearing to have a strong chance at cracking the rotation in 2021 but fell down the depth chart when the Red Sox signed Garrett Richards and Matt Andriese and re-signed Martin Perez. The move guarantees that Nick Pivetta will be the club’s No. 5 starter to start the season with Houck waiting in the wings in Worcester.
Duran, the club’s top outfield prospect, was never likely to make the club but should contribute in 2021 after starring at the alternate training site last year and impressing early in camp this spring. If Boston’s major-league outfield struggles during the year, the 24-year-old Duran could be called upon in short order, but he’s likely to spend some time in Worcester to start things out.
The demotion of Muñoz means Michael Chavis and Christian Arroyo are likely to make the Opening Day roster if outfielder Franchy Cordero (COVID-19 injured list) is not ready in time. Chavis, Arroyo, Muñoz and newcomer Danny Santana were competing for one bench spot early in camp, but that competition has changed significantly due to Cordero’s delayed arrival and Santana’s foot infection, which will cause him to miss the start of the season.
The Red Sox now have 38 players remaining in major-league camp, including two on the injured list (Cordero and Chris Sale).
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