DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has been placed on the restricted list.
Tigers general manager Al Avila announced Monday that Rodriguez informed the Tigers that he will not rejoin the team due to personal matters.
The Tigers signed Rodriguez to a $77 million, five-year contract last November, banking on him to boost a turnaround. He and the team have struggled this season.
Rodriguez is is 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA in eight starts. The Tigers, who made aggressive moves in the offseason in the hopes of competing in the AL Central, have been one of baseball’s worst teams so far this year.
The 29-year-old Rodriguez spent his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and is 65-42 with a 4.17 ERA over his career. He missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season because of myocarditis, heart inflammation caused by COVID-19.
The Venezuelan is 1-1 in three postseason starts, beating Houston in Game 3 of the 2021 AL Championship Series after losing to Tampa Bay in the Division Series opener and getting a no-decision in Game 4. That helped him become a coveted free agent.
Rodriguez has not pitched for the Tigers since May 18, when he left a game against Tampa Bay in the first inning with sprained ribs. On June 9, he threw four scoreless innings and struck out nine without a walk in a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo.
