Rodriguez has a stress reaction in his back and will open the year on the disabled list at Low-A Burlington, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports.
Considered by some to be the Angels' top pitching prospect in the minor leagues, Rodriguez will miss a good chunk of the first half of the season with this injury. He has legitimate mid-rotation upside, with a plus fastball, a changeup that projects as a second plus pitch, and two quality breaking balls. The 19-year-old righty didn't post a pretty ERA (5.84) in 24.2 innings at Low-A last year, but his 3.17 FIP was more indicative of how well he pitched.