New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon continues to progress in his recovery and could be back in the starting rotation by early July, per reports.
Rodon was shut down in spring training because of forearm issues, and then encountered back problems.
The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:
Rodon (back/forearm) will throw at least two more live bullpen sessions before moving on to an extended rehab assignment, Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media reports.
ANALYSIS
Rodon threw his first bullpen session at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday and said it was "good," emphasizing that it was a "big step" in his goal of making his first regular-season start for the Yankees. The southpaw threw 20 pitches and sat at 92 to 94 mph on his fastball, and the tentative plan is for him to throw again Sunday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Rodon will then have at least one more live BP before embarking on a minor-league rehab stint that will allow him to ramp up his pitch count. Considering that progression, it appears Rodon won't make it back to the big club until at least early July.
Rodon signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Yankees this offseason.
He spent 2022 with the San Francisco Giants, and it turned out to be the year that earned him the lucrative payday. He went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA. He made the All-Star team in the National League and struck out 237 batters in 178.0 innings.
Rodon started his career with the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven years on the Southside. He has a lifetime 3.60 ERA to go along with a 56-46 record. He mad the All-Star game in both 2021 and 2022 and received Cy Young votes in each of those years.
He also threw a no-hitter in April of 2021 against the Cleveland Guardians. In doing so, he became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter within two years of undergoing Tommy John Surgery, which he had in 2019.
The Yankees are hosting the Red Sox this weekend for a three-game series.
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