Eduardo Rodriguez simulated three innings of work on Saturday at Comerica Park.
The left-hander, also the ace of the Detroit Tigers, threw 20 pitches in the first inning, 15 pitches in the second inning and 15 pitches in the third inning for a 50-pitch live batting practice session before Saturday’s game.
The 30-year-old said he felt amazing.
“I was throwing my pitches, and everything was working the way I wanted,” Rodriguez said. “Everything was perfect, feeling-wise, body-wise, shoulder-wise, finger-wise. Everything was right where I wanted it.”
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Rodriguez, working on returning from a left index finger pulley rupture, faced Jonathan Schoop, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo. Schoop and Carpenter were allowed to swing their bats, while Greene and Baddoo merely tracked pitches.
Schoop, Carpenter and Greene raved about Rodriguez’s performance.
“He looked like E-Rod,” Schoop said.
“He’s good,” Carpenter said. “He was dotting everything.”
“I feel like he hasn’t missed a beat,” Greene said. “Obviously, I’m seeing it from center field. But he was hitting his spots. His stuff looked really good and looked the same as it looks in center field. I feel like that’s E-Rod.”
Manager A.J. Hinch watched from behind home plate.
He was impressed, too.
“That was encouraging,” Hinch said. “He’s certainly said all along that he’s wanted to push it pretty hard, but that was a display of normalcy for him. We’ll see how he is feeling in the next day or so, but it was nice to see him pitching.”
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Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched in a game since May 28, threw all five of his pitches: four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, sinker and slider. One of the hitters mentioned they all looked the same coming out of his hand.
He maintained his fastball velocity, which typically sits around 92 mph, for all three innings. Before the injury, Rodriguez posted a 2.13 ERA with 16 walks and 67 strikeouts over 67⅔ innings in 11 starts.
“I don’t know if I’m ahead or not, but I feel really good the way I am right now,” Rodriguez said, when asked if he thinks he’s ahead of schedule in his throwing program. “I don’t feel anything in the finger, and my body feels perfect.”
Rodriguez will need at least one start in a rehab assignment, but the Tigers need to make sure there isn’t any swelling in the left index finger before determining exactly what happens next.
Listening to doctors is the priority for Rodriguez and the Tigers.
“The veteran voice is important, but the doctor’s voice is more important,” Hinch said. “We’ve gone to great lengths to get as much information as we can and do as much research and combine a lot of voices, certainly the player involved.
“This one is complicated because there aren’t a ton of cases, and those that have had them are all over the map on what to do. We’ve got to combine some expertise outside this operation with the player.”
About Riley Greene…
Rehabbing lefties Greene (left fibula stress reaction) and Baddoo (right quad strain) stood in the batter’s box for the live batting practice, but they weren’t allowed to swing against Rodriguez.
Greene wanted to swing “so badly,” but Hinch wouldn’t let him.
“I told him that was the best zone control I’ve ever seen out of him,” Hinch said, laughing. “We gave him the take sign for like 15 pitches. He told me he was trying to get a good pitch, so he got a little jab in, too.”
Before Rodriguez’s session, Baddoo and Greene took batting practice on the field with one of the coaches throwing. They also completed linear-based running drills in the outfield, while Greene added some multi-directional running drills.
Greene has ditched the aircast brace around the lower part of his left leg, switching to medical tape.
He said he felt like he was running at 75-80% in the outfield.
“But they weren’t allowed to swing in the Eduardo innings, so they were tracking, which was good,” Hinch said. “That tends to make you feel like they’re closer than they are, but they’re doing fine. They’re both going to go on this road trip to Texas (Monday through Thursday), which means their on-field activity will be more daily.”
Tracking pitches from Rodriguez didn’t sit right with Greene, considering he doesn’t even track pitches in spring training, but he understands why the Tigers didn’t want him to swing in Saturday’s session.
The Tigers are sticking to the rehab program.
“I’m not a tracker,” Greene said. “In spring training, I swing at everything. I faced (Mason) Englert in spring training, and I swung at five balls in the dirt. I just want to get swings off. I don’t care where the pitch is, I’m swinging.”
Early risers
Sunday’s series finale has been moved from 1:40 p.m. start to 12:10 in hopes of avoiding strong thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tickets with the original game time start will still be honored.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.