Fellow hurler Sean Sullivan is also battling an elbow issue and is considered further along than Rodriguez, although it's not clear exactly how long either pitcher will be sidelined. Rodriguez is in Pirates camp as a non-roster invitee, and the elbow injury could effectively end his chances of making the team.

Rodriguez, 27, appeared in 30 games at the major-league level from 2022-24 posting an 8.17 ERA and 33:19 K:BB over 36.1 innings. The righty reliever boasts a 28.3 percent strikeout rate during his time at the Triple-A level, so he has some bat-missing ability if he can just throw enough strikes.