Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, the Detroit Tigers’ offseason free-agent splash, will be away from the team for personal reasons for an unspecified amount of time.
“Eduardo Rodriguez has informed the Club that due to personal matters he will not rejoin the team at this time. As a result, Eduardo has been placed on the restricted list until further notice,” said a statement issued Monday by general manager Al Avila.
Rodriguez, who signed a five-year, $77 million contract in November, has been on the injured list since May 22 with a left ribcage strain but seemingly was nearing a return. He threw four scoreless innings on Thursday at Triple-A Toledo in a rehab outing.
He will not receive his salary nor will he accrue MLB service time while on the restricted list. He also doesn’t count toward the 40-man roster.
Manager A.J. Hinch said Monday that he couldn’t offer any additional information, such as the reason for the personal leave. He knew Rodriguez was headed to the restricted list.
“The statement is what it is,” Hinch said.
“The restricted list part is the relationship with the player and the organization,” Hinch added. “I knew he wasn’t going to make his start, and he wasn’t going to pitch in the minor leagues or the major leagues at this time. This was inevitable.”
Rodriguez, 29, has started eight games for the Tigers and is 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA on the season. He’s given up 26 runs (19 earned) in 39 innings.
He joined the Tigers after six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, where he compiled a 64-39 record and a 4.16 ERA in 159 games (153 starts).
–Field Level Media