Suárez steps up after Rodriguez's last-minute scratch

TORONTO -- There’s no good time to get bad news, but 10 minutes before first pitch is especially tough.

That’s around the time that Grayson Rodriguez, the 24-year-old right-hander in the middle of a great sophomore season, was scratched from his start against the Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. The Orioles announced during their 5-2 loss that Rodriguez was dealing with right lat/teres discomfort.

Rodriguez returned to Baltimore on Wednesday morning and was placed on the 15-day injured list shortly after.

According to manager Brandon Hyde, Rodriguez, who threw a “really good” bullpen session in Cleveland during the O’s series against the Guardians, hadn’t shown any signs of an injury before Tuesday’s warmup routine in the bullpen. Something didn’t feel right, so Albert Suárez had to get ready in a hurry, back in a starting spot just six days after being moved to a relief role.

“??For me, I just get my mind always ready for this type of situation, being the long reliever in the bullpen,” said Suárez. “You don't want this to happen, but sometimes it happens.”

The lat and teres muscles are largely responsible for shoulder movements as well as extension and adduction, all pivotal parts of a pitcher’s throwing motion. That explains the promptness to scratch Rodriguez, who had been healthy since returning from the 15-day IL on May 18 after dealing with right shoulder inflammation.

With Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all sidelined until next year at the earliest, this team can ill afford to lose another starter -- especially one who’s been as consistent as Rodriguez. The right-hander owns a 3.86 ERA and a 13-4 record in 116 2/3 innings over 20 starts.

Rodriguez will be shut down for a period of time before returning to activities. The O’s have a clear replacement candidate for the rotation in Suárez.

“That was a rush,” said Hyde. “Before the game, [pitching coach Drew French] sprinted in here, we got Al’s cleats on. To give us five innings in that kind of spot, that’s unbelievable. He's been a pro all along.”

The 34-year-old Suárez, reliable in whatever role the O’s have asked of him this season, was informed that he would start about 20 minutes before game time. It was the professionalism that allowed him to hand in five scoreless innings with six strikeouts on 73 pitches on short notice.

“Today, I was just going until they told me not to,” said Suárez. “So I wasn't thinking about anything. Just go there and do my job. … I always go [to the bullpen] early to watch the starter warm up. And as the long guy, I’m there, so it’s not that I wasn’t ready for it. I think what helped me was the routine pregame. That was what I feel helped me get ready quicker.”

But the O’s offense couldn’t back the heroics of its starter.

Just one week after getting to Chris Bassitt for five runs in four frames at Camden Yards, Baltimore was held hitless until the sixth inning on Tuesday. Jackson Holliday was the one to show up, hitting his third big league home run to break up Bassitt’s no-hitter and give the Orioles a one-run lead.

“It's a big swing for us,” said Hyde. “We didn't do much on Bassitt the entire night. He really kept us off balance, mixed speeds extremely well, pitched differently than he did against us a handful of days ago. So we give him credit. We didn't really [do anything] -- except for Jackson's homer there -- we didn't really do anything until the eighth inning.”

Toronto mounted a five-run bottom of the sixth headlined by a three-run homer allowed by Gregory Soto. Baltimore had a golden chance to answer in the eighth, loading the bases twice with only one run to show for it.

Those are the moments this team can’t let get away as the AL East race gains steam in the final stretch of the regular season. With the Yankees’ game against the Angels postponed due to rain on Tuesday, the Orioles are now a half-game back of the division lead.

Now, they have another question mark making its way back home to Baltimore.