SF Giants recall pitching prospect Cole Waites from Triple-A, place Carlos Rodón on IL

The SF Giants recalled hard-throwing relief pitching prospect Cole Waites from Triple-A on Tuesday and placed ace Carlos Rodón on the injured list.

The SF Giants recalled hard-throwing relief pitching prospect Cole Waites from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The team placed ace Carlos Rodón on the injured list, effectively ending the southpaw's 2022 season. The Giants did not list an injury for Rodón, but manager Gabe Kapler told reporters prior to last night's 6-2 loss to the Padres that Rodón was feeling under the weather and Alex Cobb would start in his place.

The move was not entirely unexpected since Rodón's agent Scott Boras had told Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle earlier in the week that the veteran starter had already reached his innings limit for the season.

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Waites became the first player drafted by the Giants since Farhan Zaidi became the team's president of baseball operations to play for the Giants earlier this season. Waites was drafted in the 18th round of the 2019 draft out of West Alabama. He recorded a 2.08 ERA across five big-league appearances before he was optioned back to the minors.

Waites has an excellent pair of pitches in his arsenal, a mid-90s fastball and high-80s slider. His fastball has good velocity but is even more challenging to hit because of its impressive spin rate and approach angle that make it harder for opposing hitters to pick up.

Beginning this season at High-A Eugene, Waites struck out more than half the batters he faced (27 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched) before he was promoted to Double-A Richmond. Waites made 18 appearances with the Flying Squirrels, recording 38 strikeouts in 21 innings with a 1.71 ERA before earning a call up to Triple-A.

Waites made seven appearances in Sacramento this season. He posted an elite 39.3% strikeout rate and did not surrender a run across eight innings pitched. Between all three minor-league levels, he managed a 1.94 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 22 walks in 41.2 innings pitched.

Waites has struggled with command throughout his career and is still refining his ability to locate his pitches. Waites walked four batters in five MLB innings during his first call-up and walked 13.2% of the batters he faced between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

“Starting the year in High-A, you don’t really expect to get to this point,” Waites told reporters when he was called up earlier this season, “It’s very special. It’s been a heck of a year for me.” Now he will finish the season on the MLB roster.

The Giants biggest offseason acquisition, Rodón was not just the best player on the Giants this season but was one of the best starting pitchers in MLB. He set multiple franchise records this season and recorded a 2.88 ERA in 171 innings pitched with 237 strikeouts.

While Rodón signed a two-year, $44 million contract with San Francisco last winter, the deal includes a player opt-out after this season. After putting himself in position to secure a massive contract with his performance this year, it is almost guaranteed that he will become a free agent again this offseason. If he does not re-sign with the SF Giants, he could go down as the best one-and-done pitcher in franchise history.