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SF Giants reliever almost certain to miss all of 2026 after undergoing surgery

What a bummer, man.
ByNick San Miguel|
May 3, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Randy Rodriguez (73) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
May 3, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Randy Rodriguez (73) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

One of the biggest gut punches the SF Giants got in 2025 was the news that All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He has undergone the procedure and seems all but certain to miss all of the 2026 season.

Ever since the news about him potentially undergoing surgery came out, his 2026 season seemed very much in doubt. Now, we have a timetable for his potential return and if it is accurate then he will miss all of the 2026 regular season.

SF Giants likely to be without Randy Rodríguez for all of 2026 season

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that the estimated rehab for Rodríguez is 12 to 14 months so even if he returns in 12 months he would need to build up his arm strength before returning to the Giants. Those hoping for Rodríguez to return for a potential 2026 playoff run should probably pump the brakes on that.

It is very unfortunate news even if it is not a huge shock. Rodríguez had an excellent first half in 2025 and was an All-Star. The second half was a different story and he definitely struggled after being made the closer following the Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval trades. He still ended the season with a 1.78 ERA in 50 and 2/3 innings pitched.

The hope is that he can take all of 2026 to recover and then come back ready to go at the start of 2027. You never know how a pitcher will look coming back from surgery but the fact that he should have a full year to recover and will not feel the need to rush back could bode well for his comeback.

The question now for the Giants is how they are going to rebuild their bullpen for 2026. They obviously need a new closer but they also need to pad out the rest of the bullpen and make sure they have ample depth going into next season. Maybe a reunion with a familiar face will be in order.

Here's to wishing Rodríguez a speedy recovery. In the meantime, the Giants are going to have to piece things together in the bullpen after it became a big issue in the second half of 2025.

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