Inside the Article:
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch knows all about the importance of having a quality pitching staff, and his team is getting a huge piece of it back tonight as Eduardo Rodriguez prepares to make his first start since late May.
Eduardo Rodriguez's injury halted a stellar season
Rodriguez had been churning out All-Star caliber numbers in 2023, posting a 2.13 ERA with 16 walks and 67 strikeouts across 67⅔ innings of work. But his season was halted after he suffered a ruptured A4 pulley in his left index finger.
Eduardo Rodriguez returns to the lineup tonight for the Tigers against Oakland
Ahead of Eduardo Rodriguez's start on the mound tonight at Comerica Park against the Oakland Athletics, A.J. Hinch talked about the importance of getting their ace arm back into action.
“Man, it's nice to get back the guy who started Opening Day and provided a ton of innings and stability and leadership for us,” Hinch said before tonight's game. “To get him for his first game back and feeling as good as he is, and if he pitches the way he did on the rehab assignment, we're in good shape in the rotation. He's a very good Major League pitcher and someone we looked forward to giving the ball to every five days.”
“When we lost him, it's like you don't know what you're missing until you don't have it. Those innings were huge for us and his performance was great. He likely would have been at the All-Star game had he not gotten hurt, and that kind of pitcher is hard to replace.”
Key Points
- The Tigers are getting Eduardo Rodriguez back tonight
- He's been out since late May after suffering a left index finger injury
- Manager A.J. Hinch said Rodriguez would have been an All-Star had he not gotten hurt
Bottom Line
The Tigers are in desperate need of wins if they want to continue being a real threat to the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division race.
With Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, it can only help them as they try to even up their series against the lowly A's tonight.
