Eduardo Rodriguez ready to roll -- set to make his first start Sunday vs. Rays

Eduardo Rodriguez is fired up for his first start of the 2018 season.

The young lefty, who was placed on the DL on March 26 while recovering from right knee surgery this offseason, is looking forward to getting back on the field and not worrying about how his knee is going to respond. He’ll get the ball Sunday against the Rays.

“The biggest difference for me is not thinking any more about my knee. Pitching scared and all that,” he said before the start of Saturday’s game against Tampa. “You know what I mean? Just pitch.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing him pitch (Sunday),” said manager Alex Cora. “All the credit goes to him — he’s worked hard.

“I think he’s ready to go.”

Rodriguez did not start in spring training — instead, he faced a series of minor leaguers in a handful of outings. The message he got from coaches, as well as some of the other veteran starters, was a simple one.

“No matter who you face over there,” he recalled of the advice he got before his outings in Florida, “you just go out there and try to think the way you’re going to face the big-league hitters.”

The youngster is ready to assume his spot alongside the rest of the starters, who have been very impressive out of the gate for the first seven games of the 2018 season.

“It’s been exciting to watch everybody go out there and just pitch and do their job and do the best they can do,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and try and do the same thing too (Sunday).”