SF Giants place Randy Rodríguez on the injured list, recall rookie reliever

The SF Giants made a roster move ahead of Thursday's game. They placed Randy Rodríguez on the injured list with elbow inflammation and recalled rookie reliever Spencer Bivens according to the team's transaction log.

SF Giants place Randy Rodríguez on the injured list, recall rookie reliever

The Giants hope that Rodríguez's injury is minor, but any issues around the elbow is cause for concern. The hard-throwing pitcher has handled a relatively heavy workload in 2024. Overall, he has thrown 61 innings, including his stint with Sacramento, which is shy of his career-high in innings with 70 split between three affiliates last season.

However, Rodríguez has often had to cover multiple innings in his appearances. For example, he completed 2.2 innings on 56 pitches in an 11-5 loss to the Washington Nationals just last week.

The 24-year-old pitcher has had a quality rookie campaign and likely penciled himself in the 2025 bullpen with how he has thrown. It should be noted that Rodríguez will enter next season with no minor league options remaining, so that should help his case.

Rodríguez has posted a 3.93 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, and a 3.25 SO/W rate in 33 appearances with San Francisco this season. Control has been a question for Rodríguez since he became a pro, but he has shown some improvement this season.

Spencer Bivens will take Rodríguez's spot on the 40-man roster. It has been a whirlwind of a season for Bivens. He did not enter the spring with a camp invite but received one late after he impressed the coaching staff in bullpens and games when he was borrowed from minor league camp.

Since then, Bivens has earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month honors for May and has been called up to join the Giants' bullpen. And, he has done a nice job in the process.

The 30-year-old pitcher has registered a 1.90 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, and a 3.17 SO/W rate in 12 outings. He has been a bit prone to the long ball, allowing five home runs in 23.2 innings. Similar to Rodríguez, Bivens has made a case to be a cog in the bullpen for this season and beyond.