Orioles fans panicking after Grayson Rodriguez scratched from Tuesday start

On Tuesday evening, Orioles fans got the nerve wracking news that right hander Grayson Rodriguez had been a late scratch for his scheduled start against the Blue Jays.

Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reported the news shortly before Tuesday's game was set to get underway. Apparently Rodriguez warmed up in the bullpen as normal before either he or the Orioles saw something and decided to back out.

As of now, we don't know much about the extent of Rodriguez's injury but given the fact that he went through warmups and was expected to go as planned until the very last minute doesn't bode well.

It's possible that this winds up being an inconsequential move, with Rodriguez potentially suffering from a stomach bug or something with similar short-term consequences.

But until we know more, Orioles fans will hold their collective breath. Rodriguez has been an integral piece of the Baltimore rotation all year, pitching to a 3.86 ERA with strong swing and miss figures.

Orioles righty Grayson Rodriguez mysteriously scratched ahead of Tuesday's start

His exceptional performance thus far was also a major factor in the Orioles' approach at the trade deadline. With Rodriguez and ace Corbin Burnes pitching so well and helping lead the team to the top of the AL East, GM Mike Elias took a safer approach to the deadline. He added a couple mid-rotation guys in Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers rather than shelling out a massive prospect package for someone like Tigers' lefty Tarik Skubal or White Sox nominal ace Garrett Crochet.

For now, righty Albert Suarez has taken Rodriguez's turn in the rotation. We'll have to wait to hear more about the extent of Rodriguez's injury before making any predictions but Suarez has fallen off considerably as a starter as the season has worn on.

One thing we know for sure is that lefty Chayce McDermott won't be in the running if Rodriguez needs to miss time. McDermott hit the Triple-A IL on Thursday with a stress reaction in his shoulder, which will keep him out for quite some time.

Cade Povich is down in Norfolk and could be an option for the Orioles if they need to call someone up. He wasn't spectacular in his debut earlier this year but could give the O's innings down the stretch.

Cole Irvin is another name who could be an innings eater but he collapsed to the point where he was DFA'd, so it would likely take quite a bit for the Orioles to consider adding him back to the 40-man. We'll keep this story updated as we learn more about Rodriguez's status.