Up until about 20 minutes before the Orioles began Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays, the O’s were set to have Grayson Rodriguez as the starting pitcher. That suddenly changed not long before first pitch, as the team announced Rodriguez was scratched, with Albert Suárez stepping in to make the start instead. During the game, the team offered this explanation for the decision: Right lat/teres discomfort.
The MASN broadcast played video from Rodriguez’s pre-game warmups where he appeared to tell pitching coach Drew French, “I don’t feel right.” Rodriguez being scratched at all was concerning. In combination with the video, that set off some panic even before the Orioles revealed anything about the decision.