D-Rod to pitch for father's old team as Giants tenure ends

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Dereck Rodriguez spent plenty of time in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse as he was growing up. Now he'll be back there as a player. 

Rodriguez was claimed by the Tigers on Monday, five days after the Giants designated him for assignment to clear a roster spot for Joey Rickard. Ivan Rodriguez played for the Tigers from 2004 to 2008, making four All-Star teams.

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The younger Rodriguez was a breakout star for the Giants in 2018, but he struggled in 2019 and allowed six earned runs in two relief appearances this season. The Giants took him off their 40-man roster last week.  

"He has struggled to find consistency over the course of the last couple of years," manager Gabe Kapler said at the time. "That doesn't mean that it's not in there, but his consistent stuff and strike-throwing ability, it just hasn't been there consistently enough. I think that was the decision there."

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The Giants have had a lot of luck sneaking players through waivers and onto their Triple-A roster after designating them. But Rodriguez isn't that far removed from big league success, and the Tigers could use the pitching help.

At 16-16 they're right in the race for an American League Wild Card spot, but they rank 29th in the majors in ERA.

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