The Los Angeles Angels made a big trade during the offseason by sending outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. However, Rodriguez is attempting to bounce back from an injury that had him miss the entire 2025 season.
With the 2026 campaign right around the corner, the Angels got some good news regarding Rodriguez’s health. Reports indicate that the 26-year-old potential ace threw a bullpen session in training camp on Wednesday, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. Rodriguez’s elbow injury recovery is seemingly going in the right direction.
“Grayson Rodriguez threw a bullpen session in Angels’ camp today, and by all accounts, looks good and feels good, after missing last season. The Angels have four years of team control with the former first-round pick.”
The Angels are hopeful for Rodriguez to be ready by the start of the 2026 season. However, it likely depends on how he progresses through spring training. The upcoming campaign will be Rodriguez’s third year in MLB, and his first playing in Los Angeles.
His first two years with the Orioles were a bit rocky, which is usually expected for prospect pitchers. However, he showed a jump in production in 2024 in comparison to his rookie season in 2023. When Grayson Rodriguez takes the mound with the Angels, he’ll begin the 2026 season with a career 4.11 ERA and 1.291 WHIP. He’s also thrown 259 strikeouts and owns a 71.4% winning percentage in his career.
Once officially healthy, Rodriguez is expected to play in the Angels’ starting rotation. L.A. could utilize a six-man rotation this season, with Grayson Rodriguez, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, Caden Dana, and Alex Manoah.