Grayson Rodriguez ‘hope’ after latest elbow surgery

There’s no way Grayson Rodriguez could have known it at the time, but a harmless start in July 2024 would be his last for the Baltimore Orioles. Rodriguez would be a late scratch next week. And then he would sit out the rest of his sophomore season and the entire 2025 campaign with a series of lat and elbow injuries. After months on IL, Rodriguez decided to undergo elbow surgery in August.

The procedure removed bone spurs that the pitcher believes were causing chronic injury problems. Feeling old and ready for spring training in 2026, Rodriguez learned that traded to the Los Angeles Angels. And, to his surprise, the team was confident about his health. So much so that the Angels didn’t need a review before completing the trade.

Rodriguez is grateful go forward with his new team. “Getting these bone spurs out was a huge relief. Hopefully this is all behind us and in the past,” said Rodriguez, of foul territory. “Obviously you don’t want to go through a season like I had last year where you don’t even pitch an inning. But you can just look back and think … and just move on.”

Grayson Rodriguez accepts a move to the Angels

Rodriguez is ready to start over with the Angels. But he’s still in awe of the journey he’s made over the past two years.

“I’ve tried to see just about every doctor there is to try to figure out (what’s causing the relapse). You know, you don’t need surgery for any of this. … You’re just trying to figure out why it keeps going on. … And everyone we’ve talked to, we’ve all kind of come back to the same conclusion that the bone spurs aren’t in there and that Rodrigue could explain himself.”

“If you can’t come out (and fully extend), you can’t slow your arm down fast enough, your lat is firing twice as hard. It has to work as hard, so it all kind of comes back to the same conclusion.”

Fortunately, elbow surgery broke the vicious cycle in which Rodriguez was trapped. Now the 26-year-old right-hander will try to continue with the Angels.

Los Angeles made the most of expiring Taylor Ward and traded the power-hitting outfielder for Rodriguez, who is under club control through the 2028 season. It was a bold move by the Angles. But one that could pay off if the pitcher, now healthy, returns to form.