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If a National League team pitcher pulls off the roster due to injury or his club requests that he not show up for the July 19 showcase at Dodger Stadium, Rodon is a likely choice for join Joc Pederson as representatives of the San Francisco Giants.
Whether or not Rodón made the All-Star team, his value skyrocketed with his impressive first-half performance, which can be seen as both good and bad news for Giants fans.
Good news because he is so dominant and helps win games.
Bad news (at least in the long term) because he could leave San Francisco.
That’s the reality of the baseball industry — the southpaw has an opt-out in his two-year, $44 million contract that allows him to walk out after the 2022 season and re-enter free agency.
During the Giants’ 4-14 plunge, rumors surfaced that Rodón could become trade bait if they continued to fall. (If their season was going in the wrong direction and Rodon retired anyway, why not collect the best prospects by the August 2 trade deadline?)
Well, Rodón pitched his best game of the year on Saturday, a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts to beat the Padres, and Alex Wood followed with his best game of the year as well in Sunday’s win.
Suddenly the whispers died down.
“One of the hardest questions to answer, isn’t it?” Rodon said. “It’s something in the back of your head, but where are we, (85) games? We’re only halfway there. It’s not something I’m willing to think about because that I have to worry about pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers and then I have to worry about being a dad when I get home.
“Let’s put our heads down and win more games, then we won’t have to worry about anything.
Technically, Rodón has the power to retire after the season if he reaches 110 innings. It seems like a formality. It’s already at 100.
Isan Diaz in town: Infielder Isan Diaz joined the team as a member of the taxi squad after posting impressive numbers in Triple-A Sacramento: .986 OPS and 16 homers in 52 games.
Acquired from the Marlins in late April, the left-handed hitter said he worked more on getting the ball up and “really trying to get the balls out on the ground.” Seeing change regularly more often now and realizing that if you try to do too much against change, that’s where you’re in trouble.
When asked what he could bring to the Giants, Diaz used the magic words for this team: “Energy and positive vibes”.
Briefly: Third baseman Evan Longoria (oblique), who participated in pre-game field practice (without throwing), could begin a rehab assignment on Thursday and hopes to join the Giants when eligible Saturday. … Manager Gabe Kapler said if Jakob Junis (hamstring) comes off the injured list before the All-Star break, it’s likely to be in a bullpen role. The pitcher was scheduled to make his second start in rehab on Monday in Arizona … Yermin Mercedes had a busy pregame, lining up balls in left field, taking grounders to third base and throwing pitches to second in his catcher’s gear . All this helps to make it more versatile.
John Shea is the national baseball writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.comTwitter: @JohnSheaHey
