Orioles exercising patience with struggling pitching prospect

The Orioles have not received much production from their rotation through the first couple weeks of the new season. Baltimore starters entered play on Wednesday with a collective 6.23 ERA (26th in the majors), while their strikeout and walk rates are middle-of-the-pack.

Top prospect Grayson Rodriguez has been a part of those struggles, allowing seven runs in 9 1/3 innings over his first two MLB starts. While the results have left much to be desired, the highly-touted righty has shown showcased incredible stuff in the bigs. He is averaging 97 MPH on his heater and has gotten swinging strikes on an excellent 13.2 percent of his pitches.

After Rodriguez’s start against the A’s on Tuesday, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters the rookie would see another turn through the rotation (relayed by Roch Kuabtko of MASNsports.com). Assuming the club stays on schedule, Rodriguez is lined up to take the ball against Dylan Cease and the White Sox on Sunday.

While the O’s did not break camp with Rodriguez in the rotation, Baltimore called him up earlier in April after losing Kyle Bradish to the 15-day injured list due to a right foot contusion. Bradish’s injury was never expected to be serious and he is already set for a rehab assignment.

Hyde told reporters that Bradish will take the ball for Double-A Bowie on Friday (via Andy Kostka of Baltimore Banner). That would seemingly put the right-handed hurler on track to be reinstated when first eligible on April 19.

Hyde downplayed the possibility of rolling with a six-man rotation. If the O’s want to stick with a five-man starting staff, they would have to make a decision once Bradish is activated from the IL (barring an intervening injury). Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are locks to hold jobs, which would seemingly squeeze one of Bradish, Rodriguez, Tyler Wells or Dean Kremer out of the picture.

Kremer, in particular, could be in trouble. The 27-year-old has been tagged for 13 runs in 12 1/3 innings across three appearances, surrendering five home runs in that limited stretch. Kremer was one of Baltimore’s most effective starters last year -- he posted a 3.23 ERA in 125 1/3 frames -- but Dan Connolly of the Athletic wrote earlier this week that Kremer’s hold on a rotation spot could be tenuous if he continues to scuffle.

That came before the righty surrendered four runs and allowed homers to Brent Rooker and Carlos Pérez in 4 1/3 frames during a loss to the Oakland A's.