Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Tuesday that it's possible Rodriguez (lat) temporarily pitches out of the bullpen when he eventually returns from the 15-day injured list, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Rodriguez is throwing off a mound and is "moving in the right direction," per Elias, as the right-hander works his way back from a lat strain. However, he is simply running out of time to get built back up before the end of the regular season, so the Orioles might have no choice but to use him in relief initially as they rebuild his stamina on the fly. Rodriguez has been sidelined since early August.