It’s a simple formula, really – when Paco Rodriguez does well, so do the Dodgers.

Since his call up to the major leagues on September 9, 2012 – the first player from the MLB Draft Class of 2012 to do so – Paco Rodriguez has appeared in 106 games over three MLB seasons, posting a 4-5 record with an outstanding 2.52 ERA and alien-like 0.960 WHIP in 75 total innings pitched. During that time Rodriguez struck out 83 while walking 27 for a K/BB ratio of 3.07 and a K/9 of exactly 9.0. In fact, in the 11 games that he appeared in after his September 2012 call-up, the 6′-3″ 220-pound lefty with the unorthodox delivery posted a remarkable 1.35 ERA with six strikeouts in the 6.2 innings that he pitched – usually as a LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY )

Rodriguez worked on several mechanical changes to his delivery during the off-season.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But 2013 proved to be a rough season for the extremely likable the 23-year-old Miami Beach native. As the Dodgers entered the stretch run of the season en route to the first of two consecutive National League West titles, Paco simply ran out of gas. Three times during the month of September, Rodriguez entered a game either tied or ahead and left the game down by one. He allowed four earned runs in 8.1 innings pitched for an uncharacteristic 4.44 ERA. But even at that, Paco finished the 2013 season with a remarkable 2.32 ERA – proof that he had hit the wall in September. In fact, after allowing two runs in 0.2 innings during the 2013 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly left Rodriguez off of the NLCS roster..

Rodriguez struggled during the 2014 season, spending most of it at Triple-A Albuquerque. On August 3 he suffered a strain to the Teres Major in his left shoulder – the same injury that sidelined Clayton Kershaw at the beginning of the season – and spent six weeks on the disabled list. He returned to the Dodgers on September 15 and appeared in only six games, picking up one win, one hold and one blown save. An even though Rodriguez posted a 2.81 ERA in those six games, he was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA on the season, having appeared in only 19 games and pitching only 14.0 innings. It was, in every sense, a year that Rodriguez would rather forget.

But that was then and this is now and Paco arrived at spring training last Thursday feeling 100 percent healthy. He also made a few adjustments during the off-season that he feels will help him in 2015.

“I worked on my delivery,” Rodriguez said. “Last year my arm was a little too high up. I think that was my biggest concern with my mechanics and just the rhythm of being comfortable to make a solid throw. That’s what I worked on the most.”

Rodriguez also said that he can’t wait for the season to start, acknowledging that he will have to compete for a spot in the Dodgers bullpen with fellow left-handers J.P. Howell, Daniel Coulombe, Chris Reed, Adam Liberatore and non-roster invitees Erik Bedard, Ryan Buchter and David Huff.

But Rodriguez likes the changes that the Dodgers brass made during the off-season.

“It’s a bunch of new faces and new guys to get to know, it’s a good change,” Rodriguez said. “These guys (Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi), they know what their doing, so I’m all for it. It’s something that’s going to help, I think it’s going to help us out.

“It seems like a good group of guys and I’m just trying to getting to know them and understand what we’re trying to accomplish,” Rodriguez added. “At the end of the day we’re trying to accomplish the same thing, it’s just win and get to where we want to get to – to the World Series.”

Sounds like a good plan to me.