Chris Rodriguez

Rodriguez missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing capsule repair surgery in his right shoulder in November. It was the third campaign that the right-hander has missed all or most of since he was drafted in November of 2016 -- he sat out all of 2018 due to a back injury and tossed only 9.1 innings in 2019 before undergoing season-ending back surgery. Rodriguez reportedly blew away team personnel at the alternate training site in 2020, but there are no numbers to back that up since the minor-league campaign was wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic. There is nonetheless lots to like about Rodriguez's future prospects, as he possesses four potentially plus-pitches highlighted by a mid-to-high-90s sinker and a mid-80s curveball. During his first stint in the majors in 2021, Rodriguez went to the pair of offerings nearly 90% of the time to promising results (3.64 ERA, 21.6 K% over 29.2 innings), but he also has a slider and changeup that he could work in as they become more refined. There's a strong belief within the organization that Rodriguez could be a top-of-the-rotation starter if he can get past his health issues. He's still only 24 and is expected to be ready for spring training, but the Angels may elect to deploy him as a reliever while he works his arm back into shape. Read Past Outlooks