Iván Dereck RodrÃÂguez (born June 5, 1992), nicknamed D-Rod, is an American professional baseball pitcher for El ÃÂguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. The Minnesota Twins selected RodrÃÂguez in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB draft as an outfielder. He was converted to a pitcher in 2014 and made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2018. He has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Twins and Atlanta Braves. He is the son of Hall of Famer Iván RodrÃÂguez, and is affectionately known to fans as Son of Pudge. He plays for the Puerto Rico national baseball team.
RodrÃÂguez was born in Arlington, Texas, to Maribel Rivera and Baseball Hall of Famer Iván RodrÃÂguez. His father spent 21 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), won 13 Gold Gloves, and was a 14-time All-Star. He has three siblings. He grew up in Texas, and at age 10 moved to Florida, where he later on attended Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Opa-locka, Florida, and transitioned from catcher and played center field and pitched for the baseball team.
The Minnesota Twins drafted RodrÃÂguez in the sixth round, with the 208th overall selection, of the 2011 MLB draft as an outfielder, and he signed for a $130,000 signing bonus. After he batted .216 with six home runs in 352 at bats at the Rookie-level in Minor League Baseball over his first three professional seasons, the Twins converted him into a pitcher in 2014. He was 2âÂÂ2 with a 1.05 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Elizabethton Twins. In 2015, RodrÃÂguez had a 6âÂÂ3 winâÂÂloss record and a 2.85 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 12 games started for Elizabethton, and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year. He also played in three games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Fort Myers Miracle. The next season, he pitched for Cedar Rapids, where he had a 4âÂÂ11 winâÂÂloss record and a 5.08 ERA, and for Fort Myers where he pitched to a 1âÂÂ2 record with a 2.56 ERA. During the 2016âÂÂ17 offseason, he pitched for the Indios de Mayagüez of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, and then pitched for the Criollos de Caguas in the 2017 Caribbean Series. He was named to the Puerto Rican national baseball team's roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In 2017, he pitched for both Fort Myers and the Chattanooga Lookouts where he compiled a combined 10âÂÂ6 record and 3.27 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) between both teams. RodrÃÂguez elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2017.
On November 15, 2017, RodrÃÂguez signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants organization. He began the season with the Sacramento River Cats of the TripleâÂÂA Pacific Coast League. RodrÃÂguez posted a 4âÂÂ1 winâÂÂloss record and a 3.40 ERA.
The Giants promoted him to the major leagues on May 28. RodrÃÂguez made his major league debut in relief of Jeff Samardzija on May 29, 2018, against the Colorado Rockies. During the game, he pitched innings and hit an RBI double. RodrÃÂguez had a successful rookie year with the Giants with a 6âÂÂ4 record and 2.81 earned run average in 31 games. As a starter, he allowed 3 runs or less in 16 of his 19 starts and pitched 5 or more innings in 17 of his 19 starts.
RodrÃÂguez struggled during the early portion of the 2019 season and was sent down to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. He was recalled and sent back down to Sacramento several times during the season and pitched in relief and made spot starts for the Giants. For the season, with Sacramento and San Jose he was 3âÂÂ0 with a 3.67 ERA in seven starts in which he pitched 34.1 innings and struck out 37 batters. With the Giants, he was 6âÂÂ11 with a 5.64 ERA and pitched in 28 games (16 starts) in which he pitched 99 innings.
In the 2020 season, RodrÃÂguez only pitched in two games before being designated for assignment on August 26, 2020, to make space for Joey Rickard on the roster.
On August 31, 2020, the Detroit Tigers claimed RodrÃÂguez off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. On October 27, RodrÃÂguez was outrighted off of the 40-man roster, without having made an appearance for Detroit. He became a free agent on November 2.
On November 9, 2020, RodrÃÂguez signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies organization that included an invitation to spring training. RodrÃÂguez spent the 2021 season with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, making 22 appearances, going 4âÂÂ6 with a 6.72 ERA and 87 strikeouts. He became a free agent following the season on November 7, 2021.
On January 12, 2022, RodrÃÂguez signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins promoted him to the major leagues on April 13. In his only appearance, RodrÃÂguez allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was designated for assignment on April 15 after Kyle Garlick was added to the roster. He was sent outright to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints the next day.
On September 17, RodrÃÂguez was selected back to the major league roster after Trevor Megill was placed on the COVID-19 injured list. He tossed innings against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing two unearned runs on three hits with two strikeouts in the 6âÂÂ7 loss. The next day, he was designated for assignment following the promotion of Ronny HenrÃÂquez. On September 20, RodrÃÂguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to TripleâÂÂA St. Paul. He elected free agency on October 6.
On January 20, 2023, RodrÃÂguez re-signed with the Twins organization on a minor league contract. He began the year with Triple-A St. Paul, recording a 4.66 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched across 7 games (2 starts). On May 5, RodrÃÂguez had his contract selected to the active roster. In his only appearances for Minnesota, RodrÃÂguez pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed one run on one hit and one walk with no strikeouts.
On May 15, 2023, RodrÃÂguez was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves and optioned to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers. On May 27, RodrÃÂguez was promoted to major leagues, and he made his Braves debut the following day, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk in two innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. The next day, RodrÃÂguez was sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett. On June 26, RodrÃÂguez was promoted back to the Braves' major league roster in replacement of AJ Smith-Shawver, who was optioned down to Gwinnett. On July 24, he was designated for assignment by Atlanta following the acquisition of Taylor Hearn. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to TripleâÂÂA on July 26. On September 17, RodrÃÂguez had his contract selected back to the major league roster. After allowing a staggering eight runs in two innings of relief, RodrÃÂguez was designated for assignment by Atlanta the following day. He cleared waivers and was again sent outright to Gwinnett on September 20. He elected free agency on October 13.
On February 23, 2024, RodrÃÂguez signed with the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican League. In 16 starts for Jalisco, he logged a 6âÂÂ2 record and 4.50 ERA with 51 strikeouts across 82 innings pitched.
RodrÃÂguez made 13 starts for Jalisco in 2025, but struggled to a 2-3 record and 8.23 ERA with 37 strikeouts across innings pitched.
On July 10, 2025, RodrÃÂguez was traded to El ÃÂguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. In 7 games he threw 13.1 innings of relief going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 7 strikeouts.
RodrÃÂguez likes to cook and mostly cooks the Puerto Rican food he grew up with. He also likes video games, including Fortnite. RodrÃÂguez is married to Ashley Negrón, whom he met in 2015 at a basketball game in Puerto Rico. He is an avid Batman fan and has a Batman tattoo on his forearm.