It's been three weeks since Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez took a leave of absence due to a personal matter and it appears he hasn't even been in contact with the organization.
On Wednesday, GM Al Avila revealed that the Tigers are essentially just waiting it out and hoping to hear from Rodriguez soon, who signed a 5-year, $77 million deal in the winter.
“We've reached out, but obviously he hasn't reached out back, so we're just kind of waiting it out,” Avila told reporters. “It is unusual, but we have no choice but to wait it out right now and see what develops as we move forward.”
The Tigers starter hasn't been paid while on the restricted list. He last pitched for Detroit on May 18th and was set to return for a rehab assignment in early June before attending to an issue with his wife.
Avila refused to discuss the possibility of voiding Rodriguez's deal:
“I'm not going to get into that at this point,” Avila said. “Obviously that's a private situation right now on his part, so I won't get into any of those legalities.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is respecting Rodriguez's privacy right now and wants him to be in the best possible mind space before even considering a return:
“We want him to be in a good place, we want everything to settle around him. But we can't really make any considerations until we know exactly what's at hand. We'll wait for him to open up when he wants.”
Eduardo Rodriguez has posted a 4.38 ERA in eight starts this season, compiling a 1-3 record. The Tigers could sure use the help, sitting towards the bottom of baseball in numerous categories.
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