Rodriguez did not factor in the decision against the Twins on Saturday, and surrendered six hits, four earned runs and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.
The 23-year-old southpaw has taken a step back after notching a victory in his first appearance of the season on May 31, as he's surrendered nine earned runs over the 10 innings encompassing his subsequent pair of starts. Saturday, Rodriguez labored through his four-plus innings, throwing 93 pitches over that span. He did show marked improvement in terms of keeping the ball in the yard, surrendering only a three-run homer to Kurt Suzuki after giving up four gopher balls to the Blue Jays in his previous start. Rodriguez turned in a solid rookie season, so his recent struggles may simply be a case of a younger player getting reacclimated. He'll look for a better showing next Thursday versus the Orioles.