SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–Before Dereck Rodríguez burst onto the scene with one of the best rookie seasons for a pitcher in franchise history, Rodríguez needed to convince the Giants he belonged in a rotation.
It took until the final week of spring training last year, but Rodríguez accomplished his goal.
In a start against an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup featuring most of the team’s regulars, Rodríguez turned in three scoreless innings and retired slugger Paul Goldschmidt twice.
“I feel like that’s where I really got put on the map last year,” Rodríguez said. “It was after that start here.