BALTIMORE -- Grayson Rodriguez has rejoined the Orioles’ rotation, and this time, it may be a permanent promotion.

Baltimore recalled Rodriguez from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday to start the series opener vs. the Dodgers at Camden Yards. It’ll be the 11th career big league start for the 23-year-old right-hander, who began the season as one of the top prospects in baseball per MLB Pipeline.

To make room on the roster for Rodriguez, the O's optioned right-hander Eduard Bazardo after Sunday's win over the Marlins.

Although Rodriguez didn’t break camp with the Orioles out of Spring Training, he quickly received his first callup to the Majors, as he started the team’s sixth game of the year vs. the Rangers on April 5 after Kyle Bradish went on the injured list with a right foot contusion. Rodriguez, a native of Nacogdoches, Texas, pitched five solid innings in front of his friends and family in an encouraging MLB debut.

Not all went well for Rodriguez after that, though. Over his first 10 starts for Baltimore, he posted a 7.35 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP while frequently struggling to locate his pitches. He had 56 strikeouts and 21 walks in 45 1/3 innings, but he went more than five frames only once and never completed six.

“I think the message was pretty clear when he went down the reasons why and what we felt like he needed to work on,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “The stuff has always been there. It’s all about command with him.”

Rodriguez took the lessons he learned in his first big league stint and applied the knowledge during his return to Triple-A. The results were impressive, as he recorded a 1.69 ERA over seven starts with Norfolk, with 54 strikeouts and 15 walks over 37 1/3 innings.

In June, Rodriguez was named the International League Pitcher of the Month. He also completed six innings five times during his latest run with the Tides, while notching double-digit strikeouts in three of those outings.

“They’ve done a nice job applying what we talked about up here before he went down,” Hyde said. “We feel comfortable where he is right now, and hopefully, he can impact us positively the rest of the year.”

That’s the goal. The Orioles (56-35 entering Sunday) are in win-now mode amid a serious bid for their first postseason berth since 2016. They wouldn’t be recalling Rodriguez if they didn’t think he could provide a boost to their rotation.

Rodriguez, who was selected by Baltimore with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, has the potential to develop into the top-of-the-rotation ace the franchise has needed for so long. On Monday, he’ll try to take the first step toward securing a permanent spot with the O’s.

“We’re in the mindset of winning games right now, and hopefully, he sticks in the rotation the rest of the summer,” Hyde said.

With Rodriguez returning to the rotation, Baltimore has moved left-hander Cole Irvin to the bullpen. The 29-year-old pitched well over his final three starts of the first half (a 1.88 ERA over 14 1/3 innings), and he can provide length in relief.