San Francisco Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez has seen his Arizona Fall League assignment come to an early end after experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow.

The 27-year-old right-hander was participating with the Scottsdale Scorpions as he attempted to gradually return to competitive pitching following Tommy John surgery. However, the Giants have decided against allowing him to continue appearing in games, prioritizing his recovery ahead of the 2027 season.

Rodríguez made just three appearances in the Arizona Fall League before his shutdown. He surrendered three runs, issued three walks and recorded three strikeouts across two innings, finishing his brief stint with a 13.50 ERA.

Although the results were secondary to getting back on the mound, the additional elbow discomfort is something the organization will continue monitoring throughout the offseason.

Rodríguez missed the entire 2026 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which followed an elbow injury that ended his previous season prematurely.

The Giants had hoped the Arizona Fall League would provide an opportunity for him to gradually rebuild his workload and regain confidence facing hitters. Instead, the organization elected to end his assignment before any further complications could develop.

Despite the setback, San Francisco remains optimistic about his recovery timeline. The expectation is still for Rodríguez to be available when the Giants report for Spring Training, although his progression will depend on how his elbow responds to continued rehab.

Before his injury, Rodríguez established himself as one of the Giants' most dependable relief options.

In 2025, he recorded a 1.78 ERA with 67 strikeouts across 50.2 innings, emerging as a major contributor in high-leverage situations. His performance also earned him opportunities to handle closing responsibilities after San Francisco traded Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees.

Rodríguez's development into a potential late-inning option made his absence particularly significant for the organization.

However, the Giants are expected to take a cautious approach when he eventually returns. Rather than immediately placing him back into a full-time ninth-inning role, San Francisco could gradually increase his responsibilities while monitoring his workload.

The priority remains getting Rodríguez healthy and restoring the effectiveness he demonstrated before undergoing surgery.

San Francisco has considerable work ahead to improve its bullpen entering 2027, but getting Rodríguez back into the mix would give the organization an important internal option.