Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Re-signed to minors contract
Rotowire
St. Louis re-signed Rodriguez (shoulder) to a minor-league contract Tuesday with an invitation to major-league spring training, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Rodriguez was outrighted off the Cardinals' 40-man roster earlier this month, but he'll return as organizational depth for the 2024 season. The 33-year-old right-hander missed most of 2023 after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery in early May, though he should be fully recovered by now.
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Wilking Rodriguez: Elects free agency
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Rodriguez (shoulder) elected to become a free agent Monday.
The Cardinals outrighted Rodriguez off their 40-man roster and offered the Rule 5 pick back to the Yankees, but they declined. The reliever never pitched for the Cards, as he was limited to just seven games in the minors due to a shoulder injury which eventually required surgery. Rodriguez nearly made it back late in the season, but it's not clear what his current health situation is.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Rehabbing at Triple-A
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Rodriguez (shoulder) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis on Aug. 31 and has struck out five while giving up one unearned run on two hits and one walk in 3.2 innings across his first four appearances.
A Rule 5 selection over the winter, Rodriguez has spent the entire 2023 campaign on the Cardinals' injured list due to shoulder tightness that eventually required surgery May 3. Though Rodriguez's procedure was initially believed to be season-ending, he made excellent progress in his recovery and resumed throwing off a mound in late July before getting cleared for game action a month later. With the 33-year-old off to a strong start to his rehab assignment, he looks like he could get a chance to join the St. Louis bullpen before season's end and potentially stake a claim to a roster spot heading into 2024.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Set for bullpen session
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Rodriguez (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez is about three months removed from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and could potentially become a bullpen option for the Cardinals sometime in August. The initial timetable called for him to miss 4-to-6 months.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Moved to 60-day IL
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Rodriguez (shoulder) was transferred Friday from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
This is merely a procedural move after Rodriguez underwent surgery earlier this week on his right shoulder. He'll be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 months.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Undergoes shoulder surgery
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Rodriguez underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his right shoulder and will be sidelined 4-to-6 months, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Rodriguez was placed on the injured list prior to Opening Day after experiencing shoulder tightness toward the end of Cardinals camp this spring. After undergoing surgery, the Rule 5 Draft pick looks likely to miss the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He logged three rehab appearances at Triple-A Memphis last month before his shoulder began barking again.
Rodriguez had his rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis paused Friday after feeling renewed soreness in his shoulder, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Rodriguez was scheduled to pitch for Memphis on Saturday, but instead he'll be reevaluated. The Rule 5 draft pick has not been able to pitch yet in 2023 because of his shoulder issues. Once healthy, the Cardinals will have to carry Rodriguez on their roster for the entirety of the campaign or offer him back to the Yankees.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Scoreless frame in rehab appearance
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Rodriguez (shoulder) threw a scoreless inning for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday during a rehab appearance, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez threw eight pitches in the contest with six landing for strikes. The right-hander was the Cardinals' Rule 5 draft pick in December, and his rehab stint from right shoulder inflammation will expire on May 9. After that, Rodriguez will either need to be promoted to the major-league roster or the Cardinals will have to offer him back to the Yankees.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Sharp in rehab debut
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Rodriguez (shoulder) tossed a scoreless inning in his rehab debut Thursday night with Triple-A Memphis, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez needed just nine pitches to get through the scoreless frame and twice reached 98 mph with his four-seam fastball. Once he's deemed fully recovered from a late-spring bout of right shoulder tightness, he'll likely be an option for the Cardinals' bullpen by early next week.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Set to begin rehab assignment
Rotowire
Rodriguez (shoulder) threw another bullpen session Monday and is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Rodriguez landing on the injured list just ahead of Opening Day because of tightness in his right shoulder, but he's been able to complete a handful of bullpen sessions and is now set to begin his rehab assignment. The right-hander was a Rule 5 pick by St. Louis over the winter, and must be carried on the roster when he's healthy.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Headed for IL with tight shoulder
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Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list due to right shoulder tightness, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The Rule 5 pick will be shut down for a week before being re-evaluated. Rodriguez has posted a 4.26 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over 6.1 innings this spring and had been in line for a middle-relief role.
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Cardinals' Wilking Rodriguez: Lands in St. Louis
Rotowire
Rodriguez was selected by the Cardinals during the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Rodriguez inked a minor-league deal with the Yankees in August but didn't pitch in the organization in 2022 before being grabbed by the Cardinals. The 32-year-old hasn't been in affiliated baseball since 2015, when he covered 10.2 innings at the Triple-A level. Rodriguez most recently worked in the Mexican League over the summer and had a 2.01 ERA and 73:13 K:BB across 44.2 innings.
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Yankees' Wilking Rodriguez: Catches on with Yankees
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Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Tuesday.
Rodriguez is back in affiliated ball for the first time since the 2015 campaign, when he made seven relief appearances for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 32-year-old right-hander will rejoin that same affiliate seven years later, attempting to pitch well enough to earn a late-season cup of coffee with the Yankees for what would be his first big-league action since 2014, when he appeared in two games for the Royals. Rodriguez most recently pitched in the Mexican League, earning an All-Star nod while producing a 2.01 ERA and 73:13 K:BB in 44.2 innings for Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos.
