Rodriguez out to keep grip on rotation slot

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Dereck Rodríguez wasn't at his best Tuesday against the Reds, but unlike a year ago, the 26-year-old knows he'll have another shot to get better in five days.

Rodriguez allowed one run on two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings in his first start of the spring, a 4-3 Giants victory at Goodyear Ballpark. His next start should come Sunday, a luxury he didn't have last spring, when he tallied just six innings over four appearances (one start) with the Giants before being shipped out to Minor League camp.

"Just getting back into the rhythm of things with runners on, but everything feels fine. My body and arm feel great," Rodriguez said. "Knowing I'm going to get my work in and I have my spot, it's good to know that Sunday I'll be out there again and not in limbo. It's nice."

Rodriguez pitched to a 2.81 ERA in 118 1/3 innings last season, the lowest ERA by a Giants rookie pitcher since 1952. But as he entered camp this spring, he looked around and saw at least six other starters competing for the five spots in the rotation. Game on.

"It's not set in stone who is going to be on that roster," Rodriguez said. "I'm here and I'm going to throw every game like it's a regular-season game."

Madison Bumgarner is locked in as the staff's ace, while Derek Holland, Jeff Samardzija and Drew Pomeranz figure to have the inside track on the next four spots if healthy. That leaves Rodriguez battling it out with Andrew Suarez and Chris Stratton for the final spot.

Stratton has no Minor League options remaining, while both Rodriguez and Suarez do, a fact that could come into play when San Francisco makes its final roster decisions next month.

"He's in a little different mode this year where he's going to be treated like one of our starters," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Every time they go out there, even though their work is shorter, it's all business when they go out there."

Although Rodriguez plans to attack each start like a regular-season game in terms of intensity, he knows that spring is as much about fine-tuning his craft as it is getting bottom-line results.

"I'm going to work on my stuff," Rodriguez said. "If I have to go in and out, throw curveballs, if I want to work on something, I'm going to work on it -- but I'm still going to try to get that guy out."

As for the rotation competition, the right-hander insists he's not going to spend much time handicapping his position. If he pitches the way he did last year, things will work themselves out.

"If you start thinking about that other stuff, you're already losing," Rodriguez said. "You just go out there and concentrate on what you need to do at that time, leave the decisions to them. Let them have that headache. ... When everybody gets on that plane [when camp breaks], hopefully I'm on it."

Familiar face

The Giants claimed right-hander José López off waivers from the Reds two weeks ago, but it didn't take long for the 25-year-old to reunite with his former team.

Lopez pitched two scoreless innings in Tuesday's win, allowing one hit while striking out three. In four Minor League seasons, Lopez -- a sixth-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2014 Draft -- is 23-33 with a 3.63 ERA over 94 games (90 starts).

"He knows what he's doing out there," Bochy said. "You look at the body of work the last three years, he's got a lot of innings under his belt and it showed out there. He's got some giddy-up on his fastball; it's 92 [mph], but I think it plays even a little bit more than that. Impressive outing."

Worth noting

• Buster Posey and Steven Duggar remain on track for their first spring game Friday night. Bochy said Posey caught and hit live pitching Tuesday morning. Pablo Sandoval, who tweaked a side muscle Saturday, is also "a couple days" away from a return, Bochy said.

• Brandon Belt, who was out with the flu Monday, could be back in the lineup Wednesday, though Bochy said Thursday was a more realistic goal. "I'm expecting him to need another day," the manager said.

• Stephen Vogt (shoulder) is still targeting a mid-March return according to Bochy, who noted that he was throwing at the Giants' complex Tuesday morning. "The progress is starting to come along for him," Bochy said.

Up next

Samardzija makes his 2019 Cactus League debut Wednesday as the Giants host the Royals at Scottsdale Stadium at 12:05 p.m. PT. Suarez, one of the starters vying for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, is also slated to pitch. Chris Ellis gets the start for Kansas City.