The Yankees announced that they had started Carlos Rodón except for the 15-day casualty list. The right hand Kervin Castro optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Rodón will start today’s game against the Brewers.
Rodón underwent surgery to remove loose ligaments in his elbow in October and opened the season on the injured list to complete his recovery. He made his first rehab start in late April and was scheduled for two more before returning to the Majors. That has now happened. Rodón pitched 6 1/3 innings in his most recent appearance with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, so he’s more or less at full strength. He now enters New York’s rotation in a middle back rotation role Fried Max again Cam Schlittler.
The 2025 season was Rodón’s third with the Yankees. It was very good for him and the club, as he pitched to a 3.09 ERA over 195 1/3 innings with 203 strikeouts. Rodón also increased his ground ball rate by nearly 10% and decreased his home runs, allowing just over one in nine innings after giving up 31 homers last year. Overall, Rodón’s contributions were worth 3.2 fWAR and re-established his reputation among Yankees fans following an injury-plagued 2023-24.
Rodón won’t be expected to hit his 2025 levels right away, and that’s not a major need for the Yankees. Despite the absence of Rodón and Gerrit ColeNew York’s rotation has been the best in the league. A team ERA of 3.01 leads the Majors, as does their combined 5.2 fWAR. Fried and Schlittler both pitched very well, and Schlittler’s 1.35 ERA leads the pack among professional starters. Is Warren striking out more batters and issuing fewer walks than last year. Ryan Weathers well done and as a companion piece. Only a quarter of the way into the season, but those four are all performing as expected or within reasonable expectations. The return of Rodón figures to make the team even stronger.
Former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil was recently optioned to Triple-A after struggling in four games. He was later sidelined due to shoulder inflammation, so he won’t be back anytime soon. Paul Blackburn he got a start for now, although he will continue his relief work for a long time. An open rotation spot allows Rodón to come in without demolishing another starter yet. Cole has been a starter for several rehabs since returning, so the next rotation move will likely come then, barring injury.
Meanwhile, Castro returns to Triple-A after appearing Friday in the series opener. In two innings, he allowed one earned run on two hits and struck out two batters. While it may not seem like one, it was a milestone for Castro, as it marked his first appearance in the Majors since 2022 with the Cubs. He spent 2023 in the Tigers’ program but made only 10 appearances, and missed all of 2024 while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. Castro’s demotion drops the Yankees’ bullpen from nine to eight players. As for Castro himself, he will remain in Triple-A and could get another call when needed.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
