Boston Red Sox: 3 players who need monster seasons in 2021
Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez needs to bring it on the mound
Now is the time for Boston Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to shine, but he will start the 2020 MLB season out of the spotlight.
Sideline with a dead arm late in Spring Training, Rodriguez was scratched as the Opening Day starter and will spend at least the first week of the season on the injured list. Certainly, a downer for E-Rod, but as Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained after the decision was made, it shouldn’t be a long-term thing, at least…let’s hope not.
"“And like we said, him going on the IL, it’s nothing long term,” Cora said, via MLB.com. “we ran out of time. We’ll build him up. The hope is for him to rejoin us sooner rather than later, and sooner is like next week.”"
Although the club is optimistic, it’s hard not to be less optimistic as a fan given Rodriguez’s injury history. It’s also hard to not feel bad for a guy who did miss the entire 2020 season following a 19-win season in 2019 that really put him on the map as a front rotational starter.
If he hopes to get back to that status, he needs to bring it off the mound in 2021 to prove he can be an ace. With Chris Sale starting the season on the IL, not only does the team need a strong bounce back season out of Eduardo Rodriguez, but he also needs a bounce back season entering a contract year.
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In overcoming another obstacle, if Rodriguez does come back strong and duplicate that 2019 performance, he will set himself up for a nice pay day come the end of the season.
If he doesn’t, one will have to wonder if Eduardo Rodriguez will every live up to his potential on a consistent basis.