Eduardo Rodriguez and what could have been

Eduardo Rodriguez left Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers with an injury, leaving them to ask once again: What if?

Rodriguez, who invoked his no-trade clause earlier this season to stay with the Detroit Tigers, made waves in the Dodgers’ clubhouse and beyond with his decision. Former teammates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez heard nothing from him after they reached out to preemptively welcome him to Los Angeles, but both ultimately understood the decision.

“He texted me and apologized, said why he couldn’t text me back and stuff like that,” Martinez said, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. “It was a family decision. I get it, man.”

It’s undeniable that Rodriguez could have made a major impact with the Dodgers. Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urías, and Walker Buehler are no longer available this season, and Clayton Kershaw is slowly recovering from his latest stint on the injured list. The remaining starters and long relievers—Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, and Lance Lynn, among others—are either rookies or less reliable options.

Like Martinez, though, manager Dave Roberts is unconcerned. “If a guy doesn’t want to be here for whatever reason, then c’est la vie, it’s all good,” he said.

Dodgers Links

Vin Scully has our hearts—and Charley Steiner and Rick Monday, the Dodgers’ ever-present radio announcers, are no exception. The pair spoke with Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times about how Scully influenced their announcing style and what it’s been like to spend 20 years on the job together.

In case you missed it, Will Smith played with a broken rib for most of the first half of this season. He was hit by a pitch from St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford on April 30 and, up until recently, was compensating for the injury with some changes to his swing, writes Bill Plunkett at the OC Register.

Brusdar Graterol’s mother watched him pitch in the major leagues for the first time after the pair spent seven years apart. Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times recounts the emotional game and what it meant not only to Graterol, but also to his teammates.