Manager Joe Maddon said Thursday that he now believes Rodriguez has what it takes to eventually move into a starting role, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports. "The changeup really adds another layer to him," Maddon said. "He's a strike-thrower and he can get quick outs by challenging hitters with that fastball and force them to beat it into the ground. You can see him becoming a front-line starter. It gives me a lot to think about now that I've seen it."
The skipper made some eyebrow-raising comments in spring training, saying that Rodriguez looked like a reliever to him, but apparently he is changing his tune. Moving past Maddon's lack of foresight, this is excellent news for those who have been rostering Rodriguez in dynasty leagues. Despite this high praise, the 22-year-old will likely stay in the bullpen all season given his injury history so that the Angels can monitor his innings and workload, but it sounds like he could be stretched out for the 2022 season. The righty has a 3.48 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 30.4 percent strikeout rate and 64 percent groundball rate through 10.1 innings (five appearances). His top priority in the short term will be cutting his 13 percent walk rate.