All-Star Rodríguez back on mound in Fall League after 13-month absence

SAN FRANCISCO -- Thirteen months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Giants All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez is officially back on the mound. 

The 27-year-old right-hander returned to action in the Arizona Fall League on Tuesday, where he pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his first start for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Rodríguez coaxed flyouts from the first two batters he faced before striking out Padres prospect Brandon Butterworth on a 95.9 mph four-seam fastball, which was the hardest pitch he threw in the 11-pitch outing.

It was an encouraging step forward for Rodríguez, who last pitched for the Giants on Aug. 22, 2025. Before blowing out his elbow, Rodríguez had emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in the National League, logging a 1.78 ERA over 50 appearances while earning his first career All-Star nod last year.

The road back from Tommy John surgery can be a bit bumpy for pitchers, which is one of the reasons Rodríguez asked the Giants for permission to participate in the AFL this year. The desert circuit is primarily known as a finishing school for top prospects, but Rodríguez viewed it as an opportunity to ease himself back into competition and set himself up for a successful big league comeback in 2027.

“I think it just shows how serious he takes his craft,” Giants general manager Zack Minasian said last month. “It’s part of the reason why we saw the performance last year and why we're so encouraged about him eventually being a part of this team when he's fully healthy. He's a difference-maker. Obviously, he's got a lot of ability on the field, but off the field, he's a special person.”

A healthy Rodríguez should be a major boon to the Giants’ bullpen, which ranked 19th in the Majors with a 4.14 ERA in 2026. President of baseball operations Buster Posey has acknowledged that he didn’t do enough to fortify the relief corps last offseason and plans to focus on finding more reliable arms this winter.

Rodríguez has prior closing experience, but he isn’t expected to immediately slide back into the ninth-inning role, as the Giants want to be careful not to overburden him early next year. Another former All-Star, Camilo Doval, could be part of the solution if San Francisco elects to bring him back in '27, though the club could also seek out a lockdown closer in free agency like Adrian Morejon or David Bednar.

“I think the biggest thing for us was we felt like we didn't have an answer on what we wanted to do at the end of the game,” manager Tony Vitello said earlier this month. “I think once you have that piece kind of figured out, it's much easier for other stuff to fall in line.”

Other Fall League notes:

• The Giants’ top-ranked prospect in the AFL, outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 7), flashed his elite speed by hitting a three-run, inside-the-park-homer for Scottsdale on Oct. 9. It was the first AFL home run for Jordan, who entered Friday batting .226 (7-for-31) with a .755 OPS and eight RBIs over eight games.

• Infield prospect Kaeden Kent (No. 20) is also off to a hot start in the desert. Kent, who was acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Heliot Ramos at the Trade Deadline, delivered a walk-off double for Scottsdale on Oct. 9 and is batting .412 (7-for-17) with a .915 OPS over his first six games.

The son of Hall of Famer Jeff Kent, Kaeden appeared in only 86 games at the High-A level due to a broken finger this year, prompting the Giants to send him to the AFL to recoup some at-bats.

“He’s a really good worker,” Minasian said. “He’s someone our amateur group was really high on in the [2025] Draft. He's a gritty player. He’s going to get everything out of his ability and is super competitive.”