Randy Rodríguez has suffered a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. General manager Zack Minasian revealed that the reliever is unlikely to pitch again in the Arizona Fall League this autumn.

Rodríguez missed the entire 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his elbow. The 27-year-old pushed to return to the mound in the Arizona Fall League as part of his recovery, and the Giants supported his decision. However, some general soreness has forced the organization to take a cautious approach.

Rodríguez made three appearances for the Scottsdale Scorpions, allowing three runs in two innings. He recorded three strikeouts and three walks while giving up one home run. Although those numbers were not particularly impressive, the Giants were more interested in how his arm responded and how he looked on the mound.

Minasian said Rodríguez's work went well overall, but the team decided not to risk pushing him further after the soreness appeared.

“Everything went great,” Minasian said. “I think he felt some general soreness that guys go through coming back from (Tommy John surgery) and got to the point where we just said, ‘You know what, we should just quit while we’re ahead.’ Kind of saw what we needed to see.”

The Giants were encouraged by his velocity and the condition of his pitches. Minasian said Rodríguez reached 98 mph and used all his pitches during his appearances.

The right-hander has also added a changeup to his four-seam fastball and slider. Minasian initially thought the new pitch was a splitter but praised its movement, recalling that one hitter even walked back to the dugout laughing after Rodríguez struck him out.

The Giants now hope Rodríguez can become an important part of their bullpen again in 2027. His absence proved costly this season as San Francisco struggled to get consistent performances from its relievers.

The bullpen finished 19th in ERA at 4.14, 22nd in another ERA ranking at 4.32 and 26th in Wins Above Replacement with 0.6. Giants relievers also recorded a 5.74 ERA in the ninth inning, the third-worst mark in the majors behind the Kansas City Royals at 6.77 and the Washington Nationals at 6.16. One of the worst moments came on Aug. 26, when San Francisco surrendered a six-run ninth-inning lead against the Cincinnati Reds.

Rodríguez had been one of baseball's most reliable relievers before his injury. In 2025, he posted a 1.78 ERA across 50.2 innings with 67 strikeouts. His first half was even better, earning him an All-Star selection after he recorded a 0.86 ERA over 41 2/3 innings with 55 strikeouts.

He took over as closer after the Giants traded Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline. Rodríguez recorded three saves in six appearances in that role but allowed four runs over 5.2 innings before undergoing surgery.