Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will not pitch at all this season following health complications related to COVID-19, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network confirmed the report not long afterward, noting the Red Sox do hope he makes a full recovery.
This is a huge blow to Rodriguez on a personal level and to the Red Sox on an organizational level. Previously, the franchise had made it clear that he was expected to return at some point this season.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom appeared on the Greg Hill show Thursday and said, “We do expect to get him back,” per WEEI Radio.
Eduardo Rodriguez has a heart condition stemming from COVID-19
Following his battle with COVID-19, Rodriguez shared that he has been diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition.
Per the Mayo Clinic, myocarditis is “an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). Myocarditis can affect your heart muscle and your heart’s electrical system, reducing your heart’s ability to pump and causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).”
He recently shared that he is “still scared” about the heart condition but that he also wishes he could be playing ball.
“That’s the most important part of your body,” Rodriguez explained, per WEEI Radio. “The first time I hear, I was kind of scared a little. Now that I know what it is, I’m still scared, but now I know exactly what it is. I just talk to my mom, talk to my wife, let them know what I have, and now I’ve got to take the rest.
“I want to be pitching yesterday, the day before, or today,” he said. “I want to be out there every time I can, so I’m never thinking of getting out of the season. I feel bad every time I see a game happening and I’m not even in the dugout.”
Unfortunately, it appears that his latest medical update wasn’t as encouraging as he had hoped.