DETROIT — Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is not communicating with the club during his absence from the team, general manager Al Avila told reporters.

“We have reached out, but he hasn’t reached out back,” Avila said Wednesday. “We’re just kind of waiting it out.”

Rodriguez hasn’t pitched for the Tigers since May 18 when he suffered a rib cage injury. After completing a rehab assignment, Rodriguez informed the club on June 13 that he was not ready to rejoin the team because of a personal matter. He was then placed on the restricted list.

Avila was asked about Rodriguez’s status during a visit with reporters in the press box before Wednesday’s game.

“It is unusual,” Avila said. “But we have no choice but to wait and see what develops as we move forward.”

Rodriguez is in the first season of a five-year, $77 million contract that he signed with the Tigers this winter after starting his career with the Boston Red Sox. He has forfeited roughly $1.72 million in salary during his 23 days on the restricted list.

Avila was asked if there was any way the Tigers could void the remainder of Rodriguez’s contract.

“I’m not going to get into that at this point,” Avila said. “It’s a private situation on his part, so I won’t get into any of those legalities.”

Rodriguez was expected to anchor Detroit’s rotation this year. Instead, Tigers have already used 14 different starting pitchers, largely because of injuries. Rookie Garrett Hill became the most recent pitcher on that list, making his Major League debut on Monday.

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Related Stories
Latest Articles