Elvin Miguel RodrÃÂguez (born March 31, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Lotte Giants of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
RodrÃÂguez signed with the Los Angeles Angels as an international free agent on July 4, 2014. He spent his professional debut season of 2015 with the Dominican Summer League Angels, going 0âÂÂ6 with a 4.59 over 51 innings. He split the 2016 season between the DSL and the Arizona League Angels, going a combined 4âÂÂ2 with a 1.53 ERA over innings. He split the 2017 season between the Orem Owlz and the Burlington Bees, going a combined 5âÂÂ3 with a 2.91 ERA over 68 innings. He was named the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year.
On September 15, 2017, the Angels sent RodrÃÂguez to the Detroit Tigers as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Justin Upton to the Angels. RodrÃÂguez spent the 2018 season with the West Michigan Whitecaps, going 8âÂÂ7 with a 3.34 ERA over innings. He spent the 2019 season with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, going 11âÂÂ9 with a 3.77 ERA over innings. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 8, 2021, the Tigers purchased RodrÃÂguez's contract, adding him to their 40-man roster.
RodrÃÂguez made the Tigers' Opening Day roster for the 2022 season. He made his MLB debut on April 10, 2022, pitching in relief against the Chicago White Sox. On the season, he made seven appearances for the Tigers (five of them starts), and scuffled to an 0âÂÂ4 record and 10.62 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched. On November 10, RodrÃÂguez was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the TripleâÂÂA Toledo Mud Hens. He elected free agency the same day.
On January 18, 2023, RodrÃÂguez signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. In 10 starts for the TripleâÂÂA Durham Bulls, he registered a 3.40 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 45.0 innings of work. On July 7, the Rays selected RodrÃÂguez's contract, adding him to the active roster. He tossed perfect innings against the Atlanta Braves that night in his season debut. The following day, RodrÃÂguez was designated for assignment after it was revealed he had agreed to a deal with a Japanese team earlier in the week. On July 9, RodrÃÂguez was released by the Rays.
On July 13, 2023, RodrÃÂguez signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In 7 games for Tokyo, he posted a 1âÂÂ5 record and 4.09 ERA with 23 strikeouts across 33 innings of work.
On November 28, 2023, RodrÃÂguez re-signed with the Swallows on a one-year contract worth $750,000 for the 2024 season. He made 32 appearances for the Swallows in 2024, compiling a 1âÂÂ1 record and 1.80 ERA with 44 strikeouts across 45 innings pitched. On November 21, 2024, RodrÃÂguez and the Swallows parted ways, making him a free agent.
On January 17, 2025, RodrÃÂguez signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers that included a club option for the 2026 season. In six appearances (two starts) for Milwaukee, he struggled to an 0-2 record and 8.68 ERA with 17 strikeouts across innings pitched. RodrÃÂguez was designated for assignment by the Brewers on July 9.
On July 16, 2025, RodrÃÂguez was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. In his only appearance for Baltimore on August 4, he allowed two runs on three hits with one strikeout across one inning pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies. RodrÃÂguez was designated for assignment by the Orioles on September 2.
On September 5, 2025, Rodriguez was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made four appearances for the Triple-A Reno Aces, but struggled to a 12.60 ERA with six strikeouts over five innings of work. RodrÃÂguez did not appear in any major league games for Arizona and the team declined his club option for 2026, making him a free agent.
On December 11, 2025, RodrÃÂguez signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Lotte Giants of the KBO League.