Tarnok served as the opener in Wednesday's loss to the Giants and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk over 2.2 innings. He struck out four and uncorked a wild pitch.
Tarnok took the next step in his 2023 acclimation process after a significantly delayed debut due to a shoulder strain, but he turned in an uneven performance. The right-hander needed 49 pitches to record eight outs, and only 29 of those offerings found the strike zone. Tarnok worked himself into trouble early as well, surrendering a two-run home run to J.D. Davis in the first inning that set the stage for the ragged outing. The fact Tarnok got the call as an opener following a pair of relief appearances to open the season could be indicative of a potential rotation audition down the road, but manager Mark Kotsay likely wants to see the 24-year-old get his feet under him a bit more before going that route.