BALTIMORE -- When a pitcher walks off the mound in the middle of an at-bat in a start in which he has not yet allowed a hit, a trip to the disabled list usually follows shortly thereafter.
But that might not be the case for Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was lifted from Tuesday night's game after throwing two pitches in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles because of tightness in his left hamstring. By the time the game ended, though, Rodriguez had loosened up enough that there's a chance he will be able to make his next start, scheduled for Sunday in Detroit.
"I've got to wait for what the trainers say," Rodriguez said after the Red Sox won 5-3 on two homers and five RBIs by American League MVP candidate Mookie Betts. "I've got to work [between starts] and see how I feel, if I feel good."
As Red Sox manager John Farrell said, "I think we got it early enough to where it doesn't seem to be a significant restriction at this point. But we'll know more as we get through the coming days."
Rodriguez said he began feeling the hamstring tightness on his second-to-last pitch of the fourth inning, when he struck out Orioles sluggers Jonathan Schoop, Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo in order. The sensation didn't subside in the fifth inning.
"I was feeling like it was getting worse, so I didn't want to do something to something inside of there," Rodriguez said. "I feel like we made the right decision before it got worse."
Until then, Rodriguez was dominant, retiring 12 of 13 batters, seven by strikeout. Chris Davis was the only batter who reached base -- on a two-out walk in the second inning. The Orioles didn't get their first hit until an infield single by Steve Pearce in the seventh inning.
Tuesday's effort was the continuation of a solid stretch for Rodriguez, who has a 2.52 ERA in seven starts since returning from a brief banishment to Triple-A to correct issues with his mechanics.
"He's relaxed, he's free," Farrell said. "He had such good life to that swing-and-miss fastball through the zone. He elevated at the appropriate times. Threw enough secondary pitches to keep guys off stride."