Rehabbing reliever headlines SF Giants contingent for 2026 Arizona Fall League

Randy Rodríguez is taking the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The 2025 NL All-Star will headline the SF Giants contingent heading to the Arizona Fall League (AFL) in 2026.

The Giants will also send Kaeden Kent, Dakota Jordan, Miguel Mendez, Alexander Fuentes, Drake George, Darien Smith, and Dalton Wentz to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Oftentimes, teams will send players who missed time during the regular season to catch up on game reps.

That is the case for many of the players they are sending, including Drake George, who missed the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Kaeden Kent missed time following the trade that brought him to the Giants, and Dakota Jordan spent time on the injured list after earning a promotion to Double-A.

That said, it is an oddity for the Giants to send two players who occupy spots on the 40-man roster. Randy Rodríguez, along with Miguel Mendez, will head to Arizona in the fall. Oftentimes, teams only send prospects to the AFL, but there are always exceptions to the rule. One notable exception was when Kyle Schwarber played a handful of AFL games in 2016 before rejoining the Chicago Cubs for the World Series.

The Giants acquired Mendez in a deal that sent Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres. Middle infield prospect Joniel Hernandez was also added in that trade.

Similar to Kaeden Kent, Mendez was injured at the time of the trade. He has not pitched above Double-A yet, so the Giants are wanting to get creative by getting a pitcher currently on the 40-man roster more game reps.

SF Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez returning to the mound so quickly is a promising sign for his recovery

For Rodríguez, this will serve as a rehab assignment after missing the entire 2026 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of last September. The recovery timeline ranges from 12 to 18 months, but relievers can often return closer to that 12-month mark.

Evidently, the hard-throwing reliever is on a more aggressive recovery path, and that is a good sign. The AFL season lasts just over a month, so Rodríguez will see only a handful of appearances at most. The return of Rodríguez will be a welcome sight for a Giants bullpen that has struggled badly in 2026. He may not be able to change the entire bullpen dynamic by himself, but he is part of the solution.

Dalton Wentz is another interesting name to receive an invite. He was drafted in the 16th round of this year's draft and earned a sizable signing bonus. He posted a .797 OPS with one home run and 10 RBI in 57 plate appearances for the Eugene Emeralds this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow