Aneury

Rodriguez

The former Rule 5 pick was knocked around this spring with a 9.53 ERA. He should be back up at some point this season in a long relief role.

Rodriguez struck out six and walked two in the game. His stamina still isn’t where it needs to be, as he was limited to just 78 pitches on Tuesday, but he may have done enough to earn another start down the road. The right-hander was optioned back to the minors after Tuesday’s game.

The spot in the rotation had previously belonged to the now-injured Kyle Weiland. This will likely be a one-time thing for Rodriguez, but there’s always a chance he could make a favorable impression by pitching well and manage to stick around.

Rodriguez allowed just two earned runs in a spot start for the Astros earlier this season, but he probably won’t get another look in the big leagues this summer.

Rodriguez had an ugly 6.60 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in 92 2/3 innings this past season at Triple-A Oklahoma City -- an affiliate of the Astros. The 25-year-old would have had to settle for a minor league deal state-side.

Hammel isn’t quite hopeless, but this is a nice return for the Rays. Rodriguez went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA, 148 H and 139/40 K/BB in 156 1/3 innings as a 20-year-old in the California League. He’s not going to bust out as an elite pitching prospect, but he’s an Andy Sonnanstine-type with No. 4 or maybe No. 3-starter potential. The Rays will put him in the rotation at Double-A.

Rodriguez has pitched scoreless ball in three of his five starts, but he’s given up nine earned runs in eight innings in his other two outings. It’s exactly the kind of inconsistency one should expect from a 20-year-old in high-A ball. Always one of the youngest pitchers at his level, he entered the season with a 5.40 ERA as a pro. Still, his fastball-curveball combination makes him pretty interesting and he has a lot of time left to learn.

Rodriguez is 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA, 38 H and 36/11 K/BB in 46 1/3 innings. He hasn’t been consistent at all, but the Rockies have to be pretty excited about the 20-year-old’s potential.

It was the second shutout of the season for Rodriguez, who is 5-4 with a 2.54 ERA, 57 H and 66/13 K/BB in 74 1/3 innings. With the command he’s demonstrating of an above average fastball-curveball combination, he’s establishing himself as a very good pitching prospect.

Rodriguez also pitched seven scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut last week. Overall, he’s 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in four starts between Double-A Montgomery and Durham. The 22-year-old Rodriguez is the prospect the Rays got from the Rockies for Jason Hammel last year. He might turn into trade bait again this year, since while he has some promise, he’s not at all likely to crack Tampa Bay’s rotation anytime soon.