Angels Unsure About Rodriguez Return Despite Roster Move

The Los Angeles Angels sent down starter Sam Aldegheri and moved Grayson Rodriguez’s rehab assignment to Triple-A on Saturday, but may not immediately bring the right-hander back to MLB immediately, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register

Rodriguez, one of the Angels’ big-ticket offseason moves, has struggled since joining the Halos, landing on the injured list twice and putting in some less-than-convincing shifts on the mound. He has been on the IL for the last three weeks with a back injury and could definitely slot into the rotation, but manager Kurt Suzuki said the Angels haven’t made that decision yet—though he is a “strong” candidate.

“He’s definitely a strong, strong, strong, strong candidate,” Suzuki said. “Maybe four ‘strongs.’”

Injuries aren’t anything new for Rodriguez, who has missed the majority of MLB play since the beginning of the 2024 season with injury. The right-hander returned to action for the first time in over a year in 2026, making six starts for the Angels.

Through those appearances, Rodriguez allowed 23 runs through 25.2 innings pitched, walking 15 batters in the process. He had a strong outing against the Detroit Tigers, allowing just one run through five innings, but struggled to keep runs off the board otherwise.

The right-hander has thrown 9.1 innings on his rehab assignment, only allowing two runs, but has also had issue keeping runners off the bases so far in the lower levels. The better of his two starts in the minors came Saturday, when he threw 5.1 innings and struck out five while only allowing one run in Triple-A.

Who Else Could Fill the Vacant Starter Spot?

Other than Rodriguez, the most likely candidate to come up to the majors is right-hander Caden Dana.

Dana, formerly the No. 2 prospect in the organization before graduating from his status at the end of last year, pitched seven times for the Angels in 2025, posting a 6.40 ERA. He showed some promise in MLB last season, though his results didn’t reflect it, and has made some improvements this season.

He still has a 5.40 ERA on the year through 12 starts, though the runs he allows shouldn’t hold much weight in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has a .202 batting average against this season, and had a stellar June with two scoreless outings. The biggest red flag for Dana is the number of walks he allows, but with some better control he could very well make it back to the rotation this season.

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