Rodriguez (lat) will not be ready for Opening Day, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
The lefty is slated to play a significant role in the Texas bullpen after making the jump back to affiliated baseball this season. He had a 1.64 ERA in 64 appearances for the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League last season. While the unfortunate timing of this strained lat muscle means he won't be ready for the July 23/24 opener, the Rangers are optimistic that Rodriguez will be ready to go shortly thereafter.