Extended time away from the game didn't do Eduardo Rodriguez any harm.
Rodriguez, who missed the entire 2020 Major League Baseball season due to a myocarditis diagnosis that followed a bout with COVID-19, has been very sharp to start the current campaign. The 28-year-old currently is tied for the MLB lead in wins (three) to go along with a 3.38 ERA.
The southpaw picked up his latest victory Tuesday when the Red Sox notched a 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. It was the first quality start of the season for Rodriguez, who allowed two runs on three hits over six innings while striking out six.
Alex Cora gushed over Rodriguez after the series opener. Boston's manager believes E-Rod is climbing up the ranks of the league's best left-handed arms.
"He's evolving into one of the best lefties in the league," Cora said, as seen during NESN's Red Sox postgame coverage. "He attacks the zone with good stuff. The tempo is magnificent. He slows the running game down, too. He has a good feel of what he wants to do."
Starting pitching was expected by many to be a weakness for the Red Sox entering the 2021 season. But Boston's starters, especially those at the top of the rotation, currently are performing to their abilities, and they're a major reason why the Red Sox are one of two teams in all of baseball with 12-plus wins.
