Angels' Grayson Rodriguez Enjoys a Spring Without Bone Spurs
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Angels' right-hander, Grayson Rodriguez, is experiencing a spring training without the nagging issue of bone spurs that plagued him for years. While it's still early to determine his overall health, Rodriguez is already ahead of last season's challenges.
Since his time in Double-A in 2021, Rodriguez had been pitching through bone spurs, which caused discomfort but didn't prevent him from playing. However, last spring marked a turning point. As he explained, 'Last year, coming into spring training was the first time I couldn’t really shake it. Just not being able to fully extend my elbow, obviously that lat’s going to fire twice as hard. A lot of extra stress there.'
The lat issues that led to his time on the injured list in 2024 and the elbow problems that sidelined him in 2025 were interconnected. To address this, Rodriguez underwent surgery in August to remove the bone spurs, and the results have been transformative.
'It feels a lot better,' he said. 'I’m pretty excited. Not pitching at all last year was terrible. It just makes me twice as excited for this season. Just to go out there and try to make 30 starts.'
Given his recent health issues, there's no immediate talk of workload management for Rodriguez. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki expressed confidence, stating, 'We’re coming out here to win. There’s no limitations that I know right now. He feels good. He’s going to pitch.'
Rodriguez has already thrown two bullpen sessions and is set to face hitters in the next few days as full-squad workouts commence on Monday. His progress will be closely watched, as his status is a key storyline in the Angels' spring training narrative.
When he made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles, Rodriguez showcased the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. The trade to the Angels for Taylor Ward was partly based on the team's belief in his health and potential.
'I’m excited to watch him,' Suzuki said. 'We haven’t seen much of him. It’s still early in camp. He threw a couple bullpens. Looks good. Says he feels good. Obviously, the potential is there. Once he ramps up and gets into some game action, I’m expecting it to be fun to watch.'
However, Rodriguez's path to a rotation spot is not without competition. Suzuki emphasized the need for strong performance and health, especially with left-handers Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers and right-hander José Soriano in the mix.
'I haven’t really focused on that,' Rodriguez said. 'Just coming in, getting my work done. Just control what you can control and everything will kind of handle itself. I expect myself to be in that rotation. That’s not really what I’m worried about right now. Uh, right now the only things I’m worried about are making sure I can go out there and make bullpens and start facing hitters and all the rest will just take care of itself.'
Meanwhile, center fielder Bryce Teodosio is also optimistic about his winter improvements at the plate. He believes his work on hitting and bunting, along with getting stronger and faster, has put him in a good position.
'I feel like I’m in a really good spot,' Teodosio said. 'Working on a lot of things with my hitting and bunting, getting stronger and faster. Just kind of getting the body back. Definitely ready to roll.'
Teodosio's elite defensive skills and his need to improve his batting average to justify regular playing time are well-known. The organization considers a .600 OPS as a reasonable target, and bunting for hits is a key strategy to increase his on-base percentage.
'I feel it’s getting a lot better,' Teodosio said of his bunting. 'I worked at it really hard and it’s just going to continue to get better. When we get it going, I think it’s really going to help me.'
Injury updates include right-handers Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson, who threw bullpen sessions from the front slope of the mound on Saturday. Both pitchers reported feeling great, with Joyce recovering from right shoulder surgery and Stephenson returning from thoracic outlet symptoms that affected the end of last season. Right-hander Nick Sandlin, who underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery, has yet to throw a bullpen session but has been progressing in his throwing program.
