According to Gabe Lacques of USA Today on Tuesday, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez of Valencia, Venezuela has tested positive for coronavirus. Rodriguez was supposed to be the ace of the Red Sox starting rotation this season, as the team is already without Chris Sale of Lakeland, Florida, who had Tommy John Surgery in March. All of a sudden, the David Price trade the Red Sox made with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason does not look good because the Red Sox starting pitching all of a sudden looks extremely thin.
Rodriguez, a southpaw had a career year in 2019. He led Major League Baseball with 34 starts, and had career highs in wins (19), innings pitched (203.333), earned run average (3.81) and strikeouts (213). Even though Rodriguez had strong numbers when it came to win totals, strikeouts, and innings pitched, he struggled with his accuracy. He gave up an American-League high 75 walks, and as a result, had a high WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.33.
Just how thin is the Red Six starting rotation looking at the moment? Well, it currently has Nathan Eovaldi as the ace. He is followed by Martin Perez and Ryan Weber. Heck, Boston cannot even put relievers Darwinzon Hernandez or Josh Taylor in the starting rotation, because they have coronavirus too. Meanwhile, Collin McHugh, who the Red Sox signed in March to a one-year deal from the Houston Astros, is coming back from elbow problems, and it may not be wise for him to step into the starting rotation at this time.
