NEW YORK -- After testing his balky right hamstring without issue, Dereck Rodriguez appears set to resume his impressive rookie season in the coming days. The Giants are planning to activate the right-hander to start Friday's series opener against the Rangers, which will also mark the beginning of a nine-game homestand.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced the plan Monday after Rodriguez threw a successful 35-pitch bullpen session at Citi Field.
"He's on his way," Bochy said.
Unbeaten in 11 starts dating back to early June, Rodriguez has been sidelined since tweaking his right hamstring during the Giants' benches-clearing brouhaha with the Dodgers last week. He was placed on the DL a day after the skirmish with a Grade 1 strain.

Giants catcher Nick Hundley (fined) and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig (suspended two games) were both disciplined for the altercation, which started in the seventh inning of an eventual 2-1 Giants win at Dodger Stadium. Rodriguez was the only player injured in the tussle.
Because of the off-day that directly followed, Rodriguez's speedy return means he'll end up missing two starts.
The 26-year-old has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, surging his way into the National League Rookie of the Year Award discussion behind a 6-1 record and 2.25 ERA in 14 games (12 starts). He paces all qualified NL rookie starters in ERA, FIP (3.09), WHIP (1.00), home runs allowed per nine (0.45) and fWAR (1.8).
Roster move
The Giants made a move to reinforce their bullpen prior to Monday's 2-1 win in 13 innings over the Mets, swapping right-hander Derek Law and Ray Black. Law, who has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Giants, was recalled from Triple-A Sacremento for the fourth time this season.
Black, a 28-year-old rookie, was optioned Sunday night after appearing in four of the past six games. San Francisco's bullpen was tasked with covering 13 innings over the weekend, when the Giants were swept in a three-game series in Cincinnati.

"We need some help in the bullpen," Bochy said. "We've been using Black a lot, so this is to give him a break, too."
Law owns an 8.74 ERA in six appearances at the Major League level this season and a 4.54 mark in 31 games at Triple-A. He pitched the final two innings and got the win on Monday, walking two in a scoreless outing.
Around the horn
Pivoting in their plans slightly, the Giants are now slotting injured righty Jeff Samardzija to begin his rehab assignment with Double-A Richmond on Wednesday.
Samardzija was originally scheduled to start at Triple-A Sacramento, but it'll be a shorter commute from New York to Bowie, Md., where the Richmond Flying Squirrels are set to play that day, than it would've been to Fresno, Calif., where the Sacremento River Cats will be.

On the DL since July 15 with right shoulder tightness, Samardzija has experienced discomfort in his throwing shoulder for most of the year. He's been limited to 10 starts, going 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA overall. This is his third DL stint of the season.
Bochy said right-hander Chris Stratton will be recalled from Triple-A to start Tuesday. The assignment will mark his 20th start of the year for the the Giants and first since Aug. 3. Stratton credited Ryan Vogelsong for helping him make a mechanical adjustment during his last stint in the Minors, as Stratton allowed just two runs in 13 innings across two starts for the River Cats.