Can Grayson Rodriguez's return from injury spark the Angels' struggling rotation? His potential hinges on regaining pre-injury form to bolster the pitching staff.
There was a respectable amount of change this offseason for the Los Angeles Angels, ranging from new players brought in via trades and free agency to a brand new coaching staff.
Still, the ceiling for the Halos hasn’t seemed to change too much, as they look to be headed towards another finish at or near the bottom of the American League West. After back-to-back seasons with 90 or more losses, however, there should be brighter days on the horizon for Angels fans.
In their first move of the offseason for the club, the Halos traded for right-handed starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for slugging outfielder Taylor Ward. Now, Rodriguez has been named as the X-Factor for the Angels in 2026 by Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller.
It’s a reasonable pick, considering the need for positive starting pitching play and the context of Rodriguez, who hasn't pitched since 2024. After missing all of last season due to surgery in which he had bone spurs removed from his elbow, Rodriguez is back on the mound, this time in an Angels uniform.
The Angels’ starting rotation certainly isn’t a strength of the club, with left-handers Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers, and right-handers Jose Soriano and Alek Manoah filling out the rotation alongside Rodriguez. That leaves the club with just two of its five starters having started a major league game in 2025.
The lack of pitching is exactly why the Angels were willing to trade Ward and his 36 home runs for a 26-year-old Rodriguez. Though he hasn’t pitched more than 122 innings in either of his two major league seasons, Rodriguez has shown real promise on the mound.
In his rookie 2023 season, he posted a 4.35 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 23 starts. Rodriguez built off that solid foundation the following year, lowering his ERA to 3.86 and striking out 10 batters per nine innings while tallying 13 wins. It’s clear that there’s real potential with Rodriguez, the 11th overall selection from the 2018 MLB draft, and the Angels are betting on it being realized in Anaheim.
He’s made three starts this spring, but he’s struggled in his first few outings since 2024, posting a 7.88 ERA. It hasn't been the most encouraging start for the offseason acquisition, but it was expected that it may take some time for him to feel like himself on the bump again.
If Rodriguez does find his rhythm and get back to his pre-injury levels of production, the Angels would have found themselves a staple in their rotation for years to come. If it’s another injury-riddled season or one where he struggles to look like the player he was in Baltimore, the Angels will be in a much worse situation for it. His play will be huge for the outlook for the Halos in 2026.