Alex Cora Confirms Eduardo Rodriguez Will Start Season On Injured List

It’s official: Eduardo Rodriguez will miss his first start of the season.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Thursday confirmed Rodriguez will start the year on the injured list. Rodriguez, originally slated to be the Opening Day starter, suffered from dead arm toward the end of spring training but has thrown off a mound since the issue first cropped up.

“Nothing long term, we just ran out of time to build him up,” Cora said at Fenway Park, via The Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato.

Cora added he and the Red Sox hope Rodriguez will be activated sometime next week.

Rookie Tanner Houck will start in place of Rodriguez on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi remains the starter for Opening Day, which now will take place Friday following Thursday’s postponement.