You don’t need me to tell you that Jake Odorizzi hasn’t been as good for Tampa Bay Rays since returning from his oblique injury. To quantify it, his ERA has gone up from 2.47 pre-injury to 4.41 afterwards. It also isn’t rocket science what the biggest reason for his decline has been: the home run ball. He has surrendered 13 homers in his 15 post-DL starts, including multiple home runs in 3 of his last 5 outings, compared to just 5 in his 12 starts before the injury. The questions that will hopefully get you to keep reading this piece are the following: what has caused Odorizzi’s decline and what can he do to get back on track?
Tampa Bay Rays: Did Jake Odorizzi’s Slider Throw Off His Year?
