Angels provide Grayson Rodriguez update that Orioles fans will find eerily familiar

The gamble of the offseason for the Los Angeles Angels happened early. LA traded Taylor Ward, who was in the final year of his arbitration window, for a controllable starting pitcher, Baltimore Orioles hurler Grayson Rodriguez.

Conceptually, the move made sense. Ward was a veteran bat that the Angels were unlikely to re-sign next offseason, and Rodriguez is under control through the 2029 season. The gamble was whether or not Rodriguez was healthy; considering he hadn't pitched in a game of consequence since 2024. Which is why the latest injury update is providing all kinds of red flags.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki revealed on Thursday that Rodriguez is experiencing dead arm and his ramp-up ahead of Opening Day will be slowed. With Opening Day next week, it now seems there is a strong chance that Rodriguez opens the season on the IL.

Rodriguez has two minor-league options remaining. In theory, rather than placing him on the IL, the Angels could keep him off the Opening Day roster and have him regain his arm strength in Triple-A.

The Angels are quickly finding what Orioles fans already knew about Grayson Rodriguez

The concern, of course, is that Rodriguez's spring is playing out almost exactly like it did last year with the Orioles. The 26-year-old was shut down with what the Orioles initially believed was dead arm, but that manifested into shoulder and elbow injuries that forced him to miss the entire season.

There's also concern with the timing of the injury. After a noticeable dip in his fastball velocity at the start of spring training, during his start against the Cleveland Guardians on March 13, his fastball was hitting 95 mph by the end of his outing. It was also his best start of the spring, striking out 5 in 4⅔ scoreless innings.

The best-case scenario for the Angels is that they're being overly cautious. Considering the circumstances, this is undoubtedly the right move. Rodriguez being a part of the Opening Day rotation won't move the needle in either direction for the Halos in terms of contending this season. The goal is to get him healthy to the point where they can identify if he could be a long-term answer for their rotation.

Though we would be remiss if we didn't mention the aftermath of the trade. Rodriguez confirmed that the Angels didn't request a physical at the time of the trade. While one isn't required for trades, and the medical reports from the Orioles were reviewed, considering Rodriguez's track record, it seemed like an obvious measure for the Angels to take. Perhaps now, the Angels are wishing they did.