Ahead of Friday evening’s spring training game, manager Brandon Hyde delivered a small update on Grayson Rodriguez. The starter, reported to have triceps soreness yesterday, is dealing with “discomfort in the back of his right elbow,” Hyde said. Although Hyde added that it’s not currently thought to be a ligament issue, Rodriguez is officially off the table for Opening Day.
I will just say that, given the way that elbow injuries often manifest in pitchers, I am not going to be stunned if it does, in fact, turn out to be a ligament issue. Vaguely nodding to it being the triceps or back of elbow area is not reassuring that ulnar collateral ligament damage is not going on or will not eventually be discovered.