Alexander Wilson
A week ago, things looked moderately concerning on the Yankees’ Carlos Rodon front. The left-hander had been building toward a rehab assignment after October surgery to remove bone chips and a spur from his pitching elbow, and the plan was tracking toward a late April return. Then right hamstring tightness appeared during a 50-pitch live batting practice session and the timeline suddenly got murky.
The good news arrived Saturday. According to Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network, Rodon threw a bullpen session at Yankee Stadium and the hamstring is feeling better. The New York Yankees organization is treating this as a minor thing, and Aaron Boone confirmed earlier in the week that the issue was primarily affecting his ability to run and field rather than his arm strength, which remained on schedule throughout. No tests have been ordered, which is itself a signal about how seriously the medical staff is treating the injury.
Rodon was characteristically direct about it when asked before Friday’s home opener. “It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to slow down a little bit,” he said, per MLB.com. “I’m hoping it doesn’t take too much time away from being back on the mound. My goal is always to pitch games and win games for the Yankees, and I’m going to do it as quickly as I can.”
Saturday’s bullpen session was the necessary next step. If he comes through it clean, a rehab assignment at the minor league level follows shortly, with a targeted return to the rotation somewhere in late April or May.
What Rodon Brings Back
Last season was the best of Rodon’s career with the Yankees. He made 33 starts, threw 195.1 innings, posted a 3.09 ERA and struck out 203 batters, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting. For a pitcher who arrived in New York on a six-year, $162 million deal amid skepticism about his durability history, 2025 was the performance that validated every dollar of that investment.
The elbow issues crept up in the postseason, which in retrospect explained some of the velocity dips that appeared late in September. The surgery was a cleanup procedure rather than a reconstruction, and Rodon said his arm feels better now than it did for much of the second half of last year. The bone chips were the problem. They are gone. If the hamstring cooperates, there is no reason to expect anything other than the pitcher who just put together the best season of his career.
The Rotation Picture When He Returns
Right now, with Rodon and Cole both sidelined, Max Fried is the clear top of the rotation. Cam Schlittler has been outstanding through his first two starts. Will Warren is carrying a 2.70 ERA and eating innings with a reworked pitch mix. Ryan Weathers is developing.
When Rodon returns, he slots back in as one of the better starters in the American League. When Cole follows, the Yankees will have a rotation with Fried, Cole, Rodon, Schlittler, and Warren, a group that would compete with any staff in baseball. Rodon, who would have been the ace on most teams in previous Yankees seasons, slides into the third or fourth spot in that group depending on how Cole looks upon his return.
That is a genuinely enviable situation. The Yankees are already leading MLB with a 1.01 team ERA to start the year despite missing their two most experienced starters. Adding Rodon and eventually Cole does not just maintain that quality. It lifts the ceiling considerably.
Saturday’s bullpen session is one step. There are several more before he takes the mound in a game that counts. But the direction is right, and for a team already 5-1 without two of its best pitchers, the cavalry is getting closer.
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