Following a start in which he allowed nine runs and 11 hits over 2 2/3 innings, Eduardo Rodriguez was sent down by the Boston Red Sox to try and correct his pitching woes in Triple-A. Though Monday's start was just the final nail in the coffin after Rodriguez' return from the disabled list had led to disastrous results across six starts.
Rodriguez, who returned from a spring training knee injury on May 31, couldn't find the sharp form he had as a rookie last season when he posted a 3.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and struck out 98 batters in 21 starts. Through six starts this season, Rodriguez allowed 19 earned runs, 28 hits and 11 walks across 26 2/3 innings. Things started on a postive note on that May 31 return as Rodriguez allowed just two runs across six innings, but then they fell apart after that.
Rodriguez's biggest problem in June was that he left balls over the plate, demonstrated by the seven home runs he allowed in five June starts. When he didn't leave baseballs out over the plate, they would be outside the zone and resulted in 11 walks in 20 1/3 innings pitched. While Rodriguez might have been healthy, something was not mechanically right with the young lefty and after repeated attempts and bullpen sessions, Boston decided it was time to send him back down to the minors.
While it is still not known who Boston will have take Rodriguez' place in the rotation, they have more holes than just the new vacant spot. Boston's starters continue to struggle and as the team's hot start to the season now turns into a tail spin, the Red Sox need to get things figured out quickly.