Randy Rodríguez (elbow) will pitch in Fall League

Rodríguez is in the process of recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season. Even if he does make it back at the end of the season, he’s unlikely to immediately factor into the mix for saves, so there’s no reason to be looking his way in redraft leagues. Placing him on the 60-day injured list frees up a spot on the Giants’ 40-man roster so they could make the signing of Luis Arraez official on Tuesday.

Rodríguez is likely to wind up missing all of next season given the timing of the procedure, which typically carries a 12-14 month recovery window. The 26-year-old reliever emerged as San Francisco’s primary closer late this season, recording four saves to accompany a pristine 1.78 ERA across 50 2/3 innings (50 appearances) before hitting the injured list back in late August.

Rodríguez’s 2026 campaign is in serious jeopardy given the timing of the procedure, which typically carries a 12-14 month recovery timetable. The 26-year-old closer landed on the injured list back in late August with an elbow sprain. No word yet on the reason for the delay prior to the surgery.

It has been recommended that the 25-year-old hurler undergo Tommy John surgery. He’s taking the weekend to mull it over, but it seems like an inevitability at this point. In the meantime, this roster move gives the Giants flexibility on their 40-man roster to accommodate their September call-ups on Monday.

Just a crushing blow for the 25-year-old right-hander who blossomed into a dominant force out of the Giants’ bullpen in 2025 and made his first All-Star squad while taking over the closer’s role. He’ll take the weekend to decide what he wants to do, but in all likelihood, he’ll undergo the procedure sooner rather than later. He told reporters that he’s been pitching through elbow discomfort since last season. Given the timing of the procedure, he’s likely to miss most, if not all, of next season. The door is open once again for Ryan Walker to strengthen his job security in the ninth inning and potentially carry the closer’s role into the 2026 season.

No word yet regarding how much time Rodríguez will miss. The 25-year-old breakout stopper has converted four saves to accompany a pristine 1.78 ERA across 50 2/3 innings (50 appearances) this season. He was unavailable on Sunday against the Brewers, but Giants manager Bob Melvin expressed optimism that he would be ready for Tuesday’s series opener against the Cubs. His absence opens the door for Ryan Walker to take over the closing role in San Francisco.

With Rodriguez shelved, it was Ryan Walker who handled the save chance against the Brewers and he came through with a scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts to protect a one-run lead. It doesn’t sound like Rodriguez will be looking at an extended absence, but it could still make Walker an interesting pickup this weekend for those that are desperate for saves.

Walker’s save was his first since May 25 against the Nationals. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up the closer’s job to Camilo Doval not long after that last save. It appears Walker only closed out Sunday’s game because Randy Rodriguez was unavailable, with manager Bob Melvin telling reporters he was dealing with some soreness. This is a situation to monitor as Walker appears to be in line for saves if Rodriguez continues to be unavailable.

Rodriguez allowed a hit to put the winning run at the plate, but he didn’t give up anything else. He’s up to four saves on the year with a 1.63 ERA, and he’s clearly the closer in San Francisco now that Camilo Doval wears pinstripes in New York.

Rodríguez blew his last save chance, but the 25-year-old had no issues Wednesday to procure his third of the season. He’s up to three saves on the season, and should see the bulk of the opportunities for the remainder of 2025.