Alex Cora knows just how good Eduardo Rodriguez could be. That's what makes outings like Monday's so frustrating.
Cora criticized Rodriguez after his spring start vs the Mets for what was yet another inefficient performance.
The Rodriguez hype has been at an all-time high this spring with the 25-year-old showing up in the "best shape of his life" and receiving some hefty praise from Sox legend Pedro Martinez. Plus, E-Rod has been showing off a new slider taught to him by none other than Chris Sale.
But Rodriguez's weakness reared its ugly head again in Port St. Lucie. He allowed three hits in two innings of work and while he didn't let up any runs, Cora clearly still believes the fifth-year starter needs to be more efficient after he threw 41 pitches. This also was evident in his spring debut last Wednesday against Baltimore, when he went two innings, allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while throwing 43 pitches.
“For him to go deeper into games, he needs to attack guys,” Cora told reporters on Monday. “His stuff is good, he got some swings and misses. But those are the things that we need to get better and he knows it.”
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This kind of inefficiency has kept Rodriguez from unlocking his full potential throughout his career. In 89 career starts, the southpaw has pitched more than seven innings only four times.
This isn't the first time Cora has been critical of Rodriguez. The Sox skipper acknowledged E-Rod's inability to pitch deep into games last June, and he didn't hold back after his poor ALDS performance vs the Yankees either.
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