Spanish
San Francisco. – The 2026 season of the Dominican closer for the San Francisco Giants hangs in the balance. Randy Rodríguez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a sprain in his right elbow and, after medical evaluations, received the recommendation to undergo Tommy John surgery. You may be interested in:Randy Rodríguez analyzes undergoing Tommy John surgery after medical recommendation The club's chief orthopedist, Dr. Ken Akizuki, reviewed the MRI and suggested the surgical procedure, an opinion that was supported by Dr. Keith Meister. The news took manager Bob Melvin by surprise, who had shown optimism about the possibility of Rodríguez rejoining the bullpen this very week. However, the scenario changed drastically.
Rodríguez was disappointed, but stated that he will take the weekend to analyze his options with his agent. Although the possibility of therapies with injections and prolonged rest has been considered, doctors agree that surgery seems inevitable. The Dominican had been a key piece in the Giants' bullpen, sharing closing duties with Ryan Walker and also as a setup man. In 50.2 innings pitched, he had an ERA of 1.78, with four saves, consolidating himself as one of San Francisco's most reliable arms. For Melvin, the absence is a sensitive blow:"One had a feeling, but we hoped for the best. Now he must decide what to do, who will be the doctor and what the schedule will be," commented Melvin.
Rodríguez had already dealt with problems in his right elbow, missing more than a month in 2024 due to inflammation. The pain intensified after his performance against the Padres on August 18 and became “intolerable”, according to the pitcher himself. While Rodríguez defines his immediate future, the Giants will have to reconfigure their bullpen at a key moment in the campaign."For a while he had the most important role we had, facing the big outs. It's disappointing for him and for us, but if he decides to have surgery, we trust that he will be able to return healthy and strong".
