SARASOTA, Fla. — A day after feeling “sluggish” on the mound and experiencing a drop in velocity, Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez reported soreness in his triceps to Baltimore’s training staff. Manager Brandon Hyde said the starting pitcher was being evaluated Thursday and more information could be available Friday.

The 25-year-old Rodriguez said Wednesday after throwing 33 pitches against the Minnesota Twins that he didn’t know what caused a lack of command and drop in velocity. He said he wasn’t attempting to throw all out, but Rodriguez’s average fastball Wednesday sat about 3 mph slower than usual.

“He just wasn’t feeling real up to himself,” Hyde said. “And today he showed a little bit of tricep soreness.”

Triceps soreness, unlike other arm injuries, doesn’t carry the same blanket concern that accompanies forearm soreness. The latter is at times a symptom that leads players to undergo Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. But right-hander Dean Kremer experienced triceps soreness last year and was diagnosed with a strain that required resting rather than surgery. Kremer missed a little more than six weeks.

It remains to be seen if Rodriguez’s soreness turns into anything more serious.

“There’s always concern,” Hyde said. “I’m concerned every day right now with everybody. But, in this case, we’ll have more information tomorrow.”

Rodriguez is the latest Orioles player to have an injury befall him this spring, although infielder Jordan Westburg is in the lineup Thursday as he returns from a mattress-induced back spasm. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is dealing with an intercostal muscle strain, is improving each day, Hyde said. Right-hander Andrew Kittredge received imaging on his left knee, and the club is evaluating treatment options.

Rodriguez is slated to be a big part of a rotation attempting to fill in for the departure of right-hander Corbin Burnes, and he still could be ready to handle a large workload. But, should Rodriguez miss time once the regular season arrives, other rotation candidates include left-hander Cade Povich and right-handers Albert Suárez and Brandon Young.

Povich, especially, has impressed this spring. He struck out six batters in three innings during his last outing as he builds on an impressive end to his rookie season.

Rodriguez has dealt with a handful of injuries in his career, including a lat/teres strain that ended his 2024 season prematurely. He missed time earlier in the year with right shoulder inflammation. And in 2022, when Rodriguez was in the minors, another lat muscle strain forced him off the mound.

This winter, Rodriguez worked to modify his delivery to put less stress on his lat muscles. His throwing motion is starting from a slightly higher position than usual.

“I want to take a lot of the load out of my lat,” Rodriguez said, according to The Baltimore Sun. “Used to, I kind of brought the ball down a little bit further. Right now, I’m working on keeping the arm up and utilizing the [scapular muscle in the shoulder] more to take that pressure off the lat.”

The Orioles, like many teams in the majors, dealt with a flurry of pitching injuries last season. In a one-month span, they lost three pitchers to Tommy John surgery: Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and John Means. Wells and Bradish could be in the mix to return midway through 2025.