Giants send Dereck Rodríguez back to minors after best start since April
A trade could open up a permanent spot for Dereck Rodríguez in the Giants' rotation.
DENVER — On a warm, lively night at Coors Field, Dereck Rodríguez turned in his best start in three months and led the Giants to a narrow 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Rodríguez’s reward is a trip back to Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants announced Tuesday that Rodríguez was optioned postgame to clear a spot for left-hander Andrew Suárez who will be added to the team’s bullpen.
Suárez was initially scheduled to start for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday, but he was scratched and kept fresh so he could join the Giants in Denver this week. The Giants are in the midst of a 14-game stretch in 13 days as they won both games of a doubleheader on Monday against the Rockies.
The transaction was likely to take place regardless of how Rodríguez performed Monday as the Giants need to add depth to a bullpen that has been taxed heavily since the All-Star break.
The move to option Rodríguez and recall Suárez is one of several the Giants have made to address their pitching needs over the last few days. San Francisco opened the second half with an extra reliever, Ray Black, in its bullpen, and optioned him to Triple-A ahead of Sunday’s game to open a roster spot for starter Tyler Beede.
Black flew with the team from Milwaukee to Denver and was added to the roster for Game 1 on Monday after the Giants placed third baseman Evan Longoria on the 10-day injured list with a strain of the plantar fascia in his left foot. Black was then optioned for the second time in a 24-hour span so San Francisco could activate Rodríguez to start Game 2 of the doubleheader.
The Giants also brought right-hander Sam Coonrod up from Triple-A to serve as the designated “26th man” for Monday’s games, but Coonrod will return to the Sacramento River Cats bullpen.
Despite throwing five innings of one-run ball against the Rockies, Rodríguez is headed back to Triple-A where he will continue working as a starter. The right-hander struggled in the first six weeks of the season in the Giants’ rotation and wound up spending part of the first half in the bullpen.
It’s unclear how long Rodríguez’s stay with Triple-A will last as the Giants have expressed a desire to evaluate him in a starting capacity later this summer. In 18 games including nine starts for the Giants this year, Rodríguez owns a 4.99 ERA.
If Tuesday’s starter Drew Pomeranz continues to struggle, the Giants may replace the left-hander in the rotation with Rodríguez, Suárez or pitching prospect Conner Menez who has performed well at Triple-A Sacramento. The Giants may have multiple vacancies in their rotation after July 31 if the club elects to trade ace Madison Bumgarner ahead of the MLB trade deadline.