Rodón strong in Giants debut vs. familiar foe

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Left-hander Carlos Rodón made his Giants debut on familiar ground, returning to Camelback Ranch to face the White Sox, his former team, on Thursday afternoon.

Rodón, who spent the first seven years of his career with Chicago before signing a two-year, $44 million deal with San Francisco earlier this month, looked as advertised, giving up one run on two hits while striking out four over 2 2/3 innings in the Giants’ 9-6 win. The only damage came via a solo shot from Eloy Jiménez, who crushed a misplaced changeup out to straightaway center field in the second inning.

“I thought he did a great job,” manager Gabe Kapler said of Rodón. “His stuff was as good as we could have expected.”

Rodón admitted it was a bit weird to face his old teammates, but he said he enjoyed the experience, even the constant chirping from his buddies in the home dugout. He received a warm ovation from fans as he walked off the field after completing his 40-pitch outing.

“It was awesome,” Rodón said. “It was just fun to be back out there. Just a little different look for me on the other side.”

Rodón topped out at 98 mph with his fastball and flashed his wipeout slider, demonstrating why the Giants believe the 29-year-old veteran can serve as another frontline starter alongside homegrown ace Logan Webb.

“I can see what all the hype is about,” catcher Curt Casali said. “Between that fastball and slider combination, it’s legit. It’s probably one of the best -- if not the best -- left-handed sliders I’ve ever seen. I was excited to see him out there. It was kind of fun and slightly awkward that he was playing against his boys out there today. But he competed well. His velo was great. He looks healthy. That’s all you can ask for at this stage.”

Rodón used his blazing fastball to strike out Luis Robert, José Abreu and Tim Anderson, who delivered a leadoff single in the first inning but then swung through three straight heaters in his second at-bat in the third.

“I was joking, but kind of not joking, with Tim Anderson out there,” Casali said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen him swing through three straight fastballs before. That guy is a great hitter. He’s got some of the best hand-eye coordination there is. He’s a perennial batting champ, and for him to miss three straight is indicative of how good Carlos’ stuff was today.”

Rodón, the third overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft, earned his first career All-Star selection with the White Sox in 2021, when he went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA over 132 2/3 innings and threw a no-hitter against Cleveland. Still, he has an extensive injury history and was hampered by left shoulder fatigue down the stretch last year, which may have factored into Chicago’s decision to not extend Rodón a one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer and instead allow him to walk in free agency.

“There were some talks,” Rodón said. “It’s hard to leave an organization you’ve played your whole career for. It’s part of the game. It’s part of the business. You move on. I’m excited to be a Giant. This is a very, very good organization.”

Quick hits
• Shortstop Thairo Estrada returned to the starting lineup for the first time since being hit by a pitch on Saturday and went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a stolen base against the White Sox. Estrada’s homer, his first of the spring, nearly cleared the Giants’ bullpen in left field in the fourth.

“What a stud that guy is,” Casali said.

Estrada, 26, is competing for a spot as a utility player with the Giants, though he could be in line for a more prominent role at second base since Tommy La Stella is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day as he continues his rehab from left Achilles surgery.

• Infielder Alex Blandino, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, continued his hot start to the spring, going 2-for-3 with a two-run shot. Blandino, 29, is now 5-for-7 with three RBIs over three Cactus League games.

“It’s really encouraging, and I think probably particularly rewarding for our hitting coaches because Alex and our hitting coaches have worked closely together,” Kapler said. “To see him get rewarded even in a Spring Training game is also encouraging because he can play a very similar role to the one Thairo can play if we see this sort of offensive production from him.”

• Catcher Patrick Bailey, who is ranked the Giants’ No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and outfielder Armani Smith also homered.