What happened: Rodríguez said his first day in the majors came just three weeks after he was with another organization and unsure when his chance would arrive. He was called up Sept. 18 and worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his debut.

Why it matters: The quick turnaround turned a recent roster move into immediate bullpen help down the stretch of the regular season. A clean first outing gave the club an early return after designating Michael Lorenzen for assignment to open the spot.

What to watch: The next signal is how soon Rodríguez gets another bullpen assignment after his first appearance. His usage over the next few days will show whether he is settling into a regular September role.