Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Indians on Monday.
Rodriguez is back with the Indians after spending time with the team's Double- and Triple-A affiliates in 2018, hitting a combined .228/.308/.416 with 15 homers in 107 games. The 24-year-old will report to minor-league camp and figures to open the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Columbus.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Struggling big time at Triple-A
Rotowire
Rodriguez went 0-for-12 over his last four games for Triple-A Columbus prior to the All-Star break and has not had consecutive games with a hit since early June, Branson Wright of The Plain Dealer reports.
The 23-year-old is enduring a rough ride in his first rodeo at Triple-A. Rodriguez is slashing just .134/.235/.303 through his first 73 games, while amassing a monstrous 42.1 percent strikeout rate.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Healthy at Triple-A
Rotowire
Rodriguez (ankle) went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in the first game of the year for Triple-A Columbus.
He suffered a sprained ankle while in big-league camp this spring, but the injury did not cost him any time in the minor-league regular season. It's hard to envision Rodrigurez carving out an everyday role in the big leagues, considering he hits right-handed, offers little defensive value at first base and posted strikeout rates north of 32 percent in two stops at Double-A, but he could profile as a lefty masher off the bench.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Sent back to minor league camp
Rotowire
Rodriguez (ankle) was reassigned to minor league camp Wednesday.
The young slugger was experiencing some success in big league camp, but now that he's hobbling on an injured ankle, he'll head back to the minors to rehab and continue developing. Rodriguez crushed 26 home runs at Double-A Akron last season, so he could push for a promotion to Triple-A by the end of the season if he continues to demolish lower-level pitching.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Diagnosed with ankle sprain
Rotowire
Rodriguez is expected to miss a week with a sprained ankle, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Fortunately, the ankle injury doesn't seem to be particularly serious, as the club expects him to return fairly soon. Through 14 games this spring, Rodriguez has gone 10-for-27 with four RBI and a double.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Exits game with sprained ankle
Rotowire
Rodriguez left Sunday's game against the Padres with a sprained ankle, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.
Before exiting the game, Rodriguez was 2-for-2 with one RBI. Further information regarding the severity of the sprain should become available in the near future after Cleveland's trainers have the opportunity to examine the injury further.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Strikeouts and home runs galore at Double-A
Rotowire
Rodriguez, 22, is batting .261/.351/.491 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI through 86 games for Double-A Akron.
Rodriguez is on pace to set a new season high in home runs. His previous high was 22 dingers at Low-A in 2014. Rodriguez is third in the Eastern League in home runs. Still, he has fanned a staggering 121 times in 86 contests. Bobby Bradley is still considered the first baseman of the future for the Indians, though Rodriguez may hit the big leagues slightly sooner.
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Indians' Nelson Rodriguez: Home runs and strikeouts
Rotowire
Rodriguez, 21, is batting .243/.323/.504 with eight home runs and 22 RBI through 29 games for Double-A Akron.
Rodriguez is second in the Eastern League in home runs, but first in strikeouts. He fanned 150 times in 133 games in 2015. He's got some pop, but it remains to be seen how much of a hindrance his lack of plate discipline will be at the higher levels.
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