Rodriguez feels ‘joy’ over first start in nearly a year
FORTMYERS, Fla. — Eduardo Rodriguez pitched four scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training game last March 11. Baseball shut down the next day as the pandemic moved from concern to crisis.
Rodriguez became one of the millions of people worldwide who contracted COVID-19. It left him bedridden and feverish and with a case of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.
Doctors prescribed almost a complete shutdown of physical activities and Rodriguez sat out the season when it started in July.
He returned to the mound Friday afternoon, facing the Rays again. Rodriguez threw 46 pitches over 2⅔ innings and admitted afterward it was much more than a routine spring training game.
“It was a joy I had the opportunity to be back out there,” said Rodriguez, who allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Rodriguez felt unexpected emotions when he walked out to the bullpen to warm up with his catcher and close friend Christian Vazquez.
“I told him, ‘Bro, I feel chills.
I feel all that right now like I’m making my MLB debut,’ ” Rodriguez said. “I feel that every start but today I was a little more excited.”
Scouts had Rodriguez topping out at 93 miles per hour, which is what he averaged in 2019.
A study published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology reported only three of the 789 professional athletes in the United States whotested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 developed myocarditis.
Rodriguez and Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney are known to be two of them. The third has not been identified.
Rodriguez has been fully cleared by doctors and is on the same schedule as the other Sox pitchers.
Eovaldi pushed back: Nate Eovaldi, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday, has been pushed back to Tuesday after missing a day in camp during the week for personal reasons.
The Sox will play five or six innings against the Twins at home Saturday and nine innings against the Braves in North Port on Sunday ahead of Monday’s off day.
Jimenez in camp:
Gilberto
Jimenez, a well-regarded 20-year-old center fielder, was added to the spring training roster as a non-roster invitee. The switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic had an .863 OPS in 59 games for Lowell in 2018. … The team agreed to contracts with 22 players with less than three years of service time. There were no renewals. Alex Verdugo ($649,500) and Nick Pivetta ($613,500) had the largest deals with the other players closer to the major league minimum of $570,500. … Xander Bogaerts has yet to play because of a sore shoulder but has started throwing again and should be in the lineup soon. … First baseman Triston Casas, who was sent to Boston to be examined regarding a non-baseball medical issue, returned to camp. “Things are trending in the right direction, which is great,” Cora said. Casas, 21, is considered the organization’s top prospect. … Franchy Cordero has been cleared to join workouts after being on the COVID injured list. … Hirokazu Sawamura is lined up to throw live batting practice Tuesday or Wednesday ahead of getting into a game next weekend. The righthander has ample time to be ready for the season.
The Astros are minus eight pitchers because of COVID-19 protocols, but general manager James Click said there were no plans to pause activity at the team’s training camp.
Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that pitchers Cristian Javier, Pedro Báez, Francis Martes, Enoli Paredes and Hector Velazquez were out.
On Thursday, Baker said pitchers Bryan Abreu, Ronel Blanco and Luis Garcia were sent away from the complex.
Golf: A man found Tiger Woods unconscious in a mangled SUV after the golf star crashed the vehicle in Southern California, authorities said in court documents obtained Friday. The man, who lives near the site in Rolling Hills Estates, heard the crash and walked to the SUV, Los Angeles County sheriff ’s Deputy Johann Schloegl wrote in an affidavit. The man told deputies that Woods would not respond to his questions. ... Corey Conners surged into the lead with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot advantage over former Bay Hill winner Martin Laird (67). ... Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst each shot their second straight 5-under 67 to share the second-round lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s Drive On Championship.
Hockey: Mark Pavelich, the speedy center from the Iron Range who played on the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team, has died at a treatment center for mental illness. He was 63. The cause and manner of death are still pending.
NBA: Suns star Devin Booker won’t play in the NBA All-Star Game this weekend because of a mild sprain in his left knee, opening up space for Jazz guard Mike Conley to make his first All-Star appearance in his 13th season.
NFL: Washington released APComeback Player of the Year Alex Smith on Friday, a move that was expected but still provides a cold ending to the veteran quarterback’s storybook tenure with the organization.
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