Randy Rodríguez injury news means SF Giants must bring back former reliever

The SF Giants got some absolutely brutal news on the injury front as it was announced that multiple doctors have recommended that reliever Randy Rodríguez undergo Tommy John surgery.

This is simply dreadful news as Rodríguez recently went on the IL with an elbow issue that seemed likely to shut him down for the rest of the season out of precaution. It was not initially though that the issue was this serious, but it seems enough damage was done to the elbow that doctors think he should undergo a surgery that would effectively end his 2026 season before it began.

SF Giants take a big blow with Randy Rodríguez injury news

It is an absolute shame because Rodríguez was probably the biggest pleasant surprise all season for the team. He made the team as a middle-reliever but quickly proved to be one of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball and earned himself a spot on the National League All-Star team.

However, ever since the All-Star Game when he gave up a home run and the trade deadline which saw San Francisco trade away its 8th and 9th inning bullpen arms in Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, Rodríguez has largely lost the form he had in the first half.

His overall numbers are still impressive as he has a 1.78 ERA on the year in 50 appearances, but his ERA in his last seven appearances has been 7.71. Perhaps that was a sign that he was battling through some physical issues.

For the rest of this season, Ryan Walker is the obvious choice as closer. Even though he has struggled at times in 2025, he has the most closing experience of anyone in the bullpen. There are other arms who figure to get an extended look in the bullpen as well.

However, the Giants now have to face the reality that they could be entering 2026 without their three strongest bullpen arms from the 2025 season. Doval may be struggling mightily in New York with the Yankees and is under team control for several more years, but Tyler Rogers is set to become a free agent after this season.

The fact that Rodríguez could miss all of 2026 if he does have to undergo Tommy John surgery turns a reunion with Rogers from something that would have been nice into something that feels borderline necessary.

Ever since being traded to the New York Mets, Rogers has been his usual reliable self. He has a 1.88 ERA in 14 appearances. He has been one of the most reliable set-up arms in baseball over the last several years and bringing him back into the fold in San Francisco would do so much to solidify a bullpen that currently projects to be very thin going into 2026.

The Giants are going to have to win a lot of close games to be successful with the roster as it is currently constructed. That is why their bullpen has to be a strength like it was in the first half of the 2025 season when the team was playing winning baseball.

Bringing back Rogers now feels like a move Buster Posey and the front office have to make if they want to be competitive next year with Rodríguez seeming like he will not pitch again for the Giants until 2027.

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