Grayson Rodriguez is about to get what should be his last chance with the Angels

Grayson Rodriguez has certainly lived up to one part of his billing with the Los Angeles Angels, in that he's clearly an injury-prone pitcher. A bout with right shoulder inflammation kept him from making his team debut until mid-May, at which point he made it just six starts (and 25.2 innings) before succumbing to lower back tightness.

However, he's failed to establish himself as a "good when healthy" option, which was the whole reason the team acquired him in the first place. Rodriguez has pitched to an 8.06 ERA and 5.14 FIP in those six starts, walking hitters at a 12.2% clip and giving up four home runs. Very little of what once made him one the brightest young pitchers in the game has been present in Anaheim.

Meanwhile, Taylor Ward owns a 115 wRC+ and has become one of the more intriguing rental bats available this summer. It's too early to declare this trade a bust, but it's certainly trending that way. If Rodriguez hopes to avoid that label in the future, he'll have to make his next healthy window with the Angels count.

Grayson Rodriguez's next few starts could determine his ultimate fate with Angels

The 26-year-old has been on a rehab assignment over the past week and change, and the good news is that he looks good. A strong return in Low-A was the precursor to an excellent showing in Salt Lake, wherein Rodriguez allowed just one run and four hits over 5.1 innings. Reaching 78 pitches was important, though perhaps more promising was the fact that he didn't walk a single batter.

These control issues weren't entirely unexpected; he missed all of 2025 with a mysterious elbow injury, so rust was always going to be a factor. The shoulder and back flare-ups only served to elongate his recovery process back to full strength.

There's no telling if he's anywhere close to that point right now, but the Angels have scheduled him to start on July 10 against the Minnesota Twins, mere days before the All-Star Break. If he can make it through that outing without any setbacks (and hopefully better results), then we can start dreaming upon a second half in which Rodriguez is able to rebuild his value and reputation as an up-and-coming arm to watch.

But it's also hard to have faith that Rodriguez will be able to stay healthy and stand out at the same time. That combination has eluded him for most of his career. It would take a miracle for that to change now.

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