SF Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez likely done for remainder of Arizona Fall League season

Randy Rodríguez's stint in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) is likely over. SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian told Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News that they saw all that they needed to see from the 2025 NL All-Star.

The Scottsdale Scorpions have already made a corresponding move. Rodríguez is no longer listed on the team roster, with Spencer Bauer filling in as a replacement.

Bauer joined the Giants at the end of October. His contract was purchased from the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association. The right-handed pitcher experienced a notable velocity boost after training at Tread Athletics.

That boost paid dividends, as he posted a 3.31 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 16 walks in 35.1 innings for the Canaries in 2026. He had already made one scoreless appearance for Scottsdale. The final day of the regular season is today, so Bauer's stint in the AFL will be a short one.

Randy Rodrígez's AFL season likely over, as SF Giants already sent a replacement

On the other hand, the Giants sent Rodríguez to headline the Giants' contingent in the AFL in 2026. He was not the only player from that group to make an impression. Dalton Wentz was the Giants' lone AFL All-Star, while Miguel Mendez racked up 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in 14.2 innings.

Rodríguez had been recovering from Tommy John surgery, and this was his first game action since undergoing the procedure in 2025. The fastball velocity rebounded nicely, even if the surface numbers were not that strong.

Overall, the 27-year-old pitcher tallied three strikeouts, three walks, and three earned runs in two frames. His final outing came on October 24, when he allowed three earned runs to score without recording an out and using 27 pitches.

At the time, Kyle Haines told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic that the plan for Rodríguez was to get into a few more games. However, the Giants reliever dealt with soreness, which is not uncommon for a pitcher coming off major elbow surgery

That said, I cannot imagine that the Giants were too thrilled with Rodríguez throwing 27 pitches in his third outing in the AFL. Teams are usually hesitant to send top pitchers to the AFL because they cannot control usage. Rodríguez's final outing was an example of that point.

The Giants hope that the elbow soreness is not serious. By the time next season rolls around, Rodríguez will be at least 18 months removed from major elbow surgery. They also hope that he will be a key cog in the bullpen next year.

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