Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez done for season due to heart issue

Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will miss the rest of the season as he recovers from a heart issue, the team announced Saturday.

Rodriguez has been diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that the team believes is a result of the left-hander's recent bout with the coronavirus. He tested positive for COVID-19 before the start of summer camp. While he was cleared and returned to workouts on July 18, he was shut down a week later after an MRI revealed his ailment.

The 27-year-old had been slotted in as the team's No. 1 pitcher this season and Opening Day starter. Instead, Rodriguez will sit out the 2020 season.

Rodriguez said last Sunday that his doctors told him that 10-20% of people who have had COVID-19 also have been diagnosed with myocarditis.

"That's the most important part of your body, so when you hear that, the first time I hear it was kind of scared a little,'' Rodriguez said Sunday. "Now that I know what it is, it's still scary, but I know exactly what it is. Just talk to my mom, talk to my wife, they know what I have and everything. Now we just gotta take the rest. That's hard, but you gotta take a rest.''

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.