Rodriguez will likely be used as a left-handed specialist for the ALDS against Houston, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.
With the addition of Doug Fister to the active roster, Rodriguez will likely come out of the bullpen, since manager John Farrell stated that Fister would only be used in the rotation. This move doesn't come as much of a surprise considering Rodriguez was hit pretty hard by the Astros on Thursday, allowing five runs on six hits and a pair of walks in 1.2 innings. Although there has been no official word on the rotation beyond the first two games, it seems highly unlikely that Rodriguez will start Game 3 or 4, meaning that he should be available out of the bullpen immediately, effective for Game 1 on Thursday.