Eduardo José Rodríguez Hernández (born April 7, 1993), nicknamed "E-Rod", is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.
Rodríguez signed as an international free agent with the Baltimore Orioles' organization in 2010, was traded to the Red Sox during the 2014 season, and made his MLB debut in May 2015. With the Red Sox, he was a member of the 2018 World Series champions. Rodríguez signed with the Tigers as a free agent before the 2022 season. Following the 2023 season, he signed a four-year deal with the Diamondbacks. Rodríguez was named to his first All-Star game in 2026.
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Career
Baltimore Orioles
Rodríguez signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an international free agent in January 2010, receiving a $175,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut that season with the Dominican Summer Orioles of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He had a 3–4 win–loss record and a 2.33 earned run average (ERA), allowing only 48 hits and no home runs in 65+2⁄3 innings pitched, but he walked 28 batters.
In 2011, Rodríguez played for the Gulf Coast Orioles of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he had a 1.81 ERA, and a walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio of 1.01. He also made one start for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Low–A New York–Penn League in 2011. In 2012, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Single–A South Atlantic League. With Delmarva, Rodríguez pitched to a 5–7 record with a 3.70 ERA in 22 games started, allowing 103 hits and 30 walks in 107 innings, while striking out 73 batters.
The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training as a non-roster player in 2013. Baseball America named Rodríguez as the Orioles' fifth best prospect before the start of the 2013 season. Rodríguez started the 2013 season with the Frederick Keys of the High–A Carolina League, where he had a 2.85 ERA in 14 games started. He appeared in the Carolina-California League All-Star Game, where he pitched a scoreless inning. Rodríguez was promoted to the Double–A Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League in June. Rodríguez, along with Henry Urrutia and Christian Walker, represented the Orioles at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game in July. He pitched one inning, allowing a hit and recording one strikeout. For Bowie, Rodríguez had a 4–3 record and a 4.22 ERA in 11 games started. After the conclusion of the regular season, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He started the AFL's championship game, pitching three scoreless innings for the Mesa Solar Sox in a 2–0 victory.
Baseball America ranked Rodríguez as the Orioles' third best prospect and the 65th best in baseball before the 2014 season. MLB.com named Rodríguez the 68th best prospect, while ESPN rated him as the 43rd best prospect and Baseball Prospectus named him the 61st best prospect. The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training, and assigned him to start the 2014 season with Bowie. He missed five weeks of the season due to a sprained knee, and had a 3–7 win–loss record and a 4.79 ERA with Bowie through July.
Boston Red Sox
On July 31, 2014, the Orioles traded Rodríguez to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Andrew Miller. Orioles' general manager Dan Duquette said that he "offered about 50 other pitchers" to Boston before agreeing to trade Rodríguez, as the Red Sox "required" him in a trade for Miller.
Rodríguez started his Red Sox career with the Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. In six starts for Portland, Rodríguez had a 3–1 win–loss record with a 0.96 ERA, with 39 strikeouts and eight walks. He joined the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League for one start during the International League playoffs, pitching seven innings against the Durham Bulls in the Governors' Cup Finals.
After the 2014 season, the Red Sox added Rodriguez to its 40-man roster to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He opened the 2015 season with Pawtucket, where he went 4–3 with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts.
On May 28, 2015, Rodríguez earned the win in his MLB debut, tossing 7+2⁄3 shutout innings in Boston's 5–1 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park. Rodríguez allowed just three hits and walked two batters, while striking out seven on 105 pitches, 68 of them for strikes. Already the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his debut on the road since 21-year-old Roger Clemens faced the Cleveland Indians in 1984, Rodríguez also became the youngest Red Sox starter to win his debut on the road since Billy Rohr in 1967.
His next two starts were on June 3, when he pitched seven innings giving up just one run, and June 9, when he pitched six scoreless innings. Rodríguez became first pitcher since the advent of ERA as an official statistic in 1912 to have begun his major league career with three starts of at least six innings with one or zero earned runs allowed and at least seven strikeouts. In September 2020 he was joined by pitcher Dean Kremer as the only two rookies to—in their first three starts—throw at least five innings, with one or no runs, four or fewer hits, and at least six strikeouts in all three starts.
Overall, with the 2015 Red Sox, Rodríguez appeared in 21 games (all starts), compiling a 10–6 record with 3.85 ERA, while striking out 98 and walking 37 in 121+2⁄3 innings pitched.
Detroit Tigers
On November 15, 2021, Rodríguez signed a five-year, $77 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. The deal included an opt-out clause that Rodríguez could exercise after the 2023 season.
Tigers manager A. J. Hinch announced that Rodríguez would start the 2022 Opening Day game for the Tigers on April 8. He allowed three runs on four hits in four innings and received a no decision, as the Tigers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth for a 5–4 win. During his start of May 18, Rodriguez suffered a left ribcage sprain and was subsequently placed on the injured list. He remained on the injured list until June 13 when the Tigers placed him on the restricted list, due to personal matters, until further notice.
His stint on the restrictive list was largely unexplained and attributed to personal family matters, in which he was not paid and removed from the active 40-man roster. During that period, Rodríguez was incommunicado with the team for an extended period, leading to questions about whether or not he would return at all that season, and also leading to questions about the team perhaps trying to void his contract. Rodríguez's absence was later reported as being related to a marital issue.
Rodríguez returned in late July and was sent to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens for a rehab assignment before being reactivated from the restricted list. He made his return to the Tigers on August 21 in a winning effort against the Los Angeles Angels.
Rodríguez began the 2023 season strong before a finger injury cost him the entire month of June. At the end of July he sported a 6–5 record, with an ERA of 2.95. On August 1, the Tigers reportedly agreed to trade Rodríguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Rodríguez exercised his no-trade clause in his contract to block the move, citing family reasons. For the 2023 season, Rodríguez made 26 starts, posting a 13–9 record, 3.30 ERA, 1.153 WHIP, and 143 strikeouts in 152+2⁄3 innings. On November 4, he opted-out of the final three years of his contract and became a free agent.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 8, 2023, Rodríguez signed a four-year, $80 million, contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was placed on the injured list with a left shoulder strain to begin the season. After experiencing renewed shoulder discomfort during a throwing session, Rodríguez was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 17, 2024. He was activated on August 6. He made his Diamondback debut the next day against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing three runs on four hits across 5+2⁄3 innings in a 5–3 victory. Rodríguez finished his first season in Arizona with a 5.04 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 50 innings across 10 starts.
Pitching style
Rodríguez is naturally right-handed. He began to throw with his left arm when he broke his right arm at the age of seven. He throws a fastball that ranges between 90 and 94 miles per hour (145 and 151 km/h). He also throws a changeup that ranges from 83 to 85 miles per hour (134 to 137 km/h), and a slider that he throws between 82 and 85 miles per hour (132 and 137 km/h). Following the trade to the Red Sox, Rodriguez worked with Bob Kipper, Portland's pitching coach, to help him improve his changeup.
Personal life
Rodriguez is the third of four children. His father works in construction. He played baseball, soccer, and basketball in his youth.
He tattooed his mother's name, Magales, on his left forearm in 2011. He also tattooed his surname on his back.
Rodriguez and his wife Catherine have a daughter, Annie, and a son, Ian.