Yankees Plan To Survive April Without Carlos Rodon

Highlights:

• Carlos Rodon’s elbow cleanup likely delays his 2026 start; early-season innings will need a bridge.
  
• Max Fried anchors April; Gerrit Cole targets a midseason return from surgery.
  
• Will Warren and Cam Schlittler are the early internal stabilizers.
  

The New York Yankees will be without Carlos Rodon to start the 2026 season. In their end-of-the-year state of the team press conference, Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman revealed the lefthander, who is coming off his best season in pinstripes, will be delayed after surgery to clean out his elbow. 

Unfortunately, this is not unfamiliar territory for the Yankees, and their pitching depth will put them in good shape for 2026. 

What Rodon’s Procedure Means For April

Rodon’s arthroscopic cleanup (loose bodies removed, bone spur shaved) is the kind of surgery teams label routine but treat with caution. He’s expected to be behind when pitchers and catchers report to Tampa in February and may not be ready for Opening Day. 

That forces the Yankees to budget early innings from a swingman, opener-bulk days, or a prospect spot start. The big thing: don’t rush him. The club needs him more in the summer than in April anyway. 

The April Five You Can Actually Pencil In

But they do have to put a rotation together for the beginning of the season. They do have Max Fried, coming off a solid first year in the Bronx, to lead this group. Luis Gil had a rough season back after missing the first half of 2025 with a lat strain, but the Yankees like his stuff and he has experience. He will only be two years removed from being the American League Rookie of the Year. 

Cam Schlittler, coming off his breakout rookie season, will no doubt be at the front of this rotation, and Will Warren, who gave the Yankees solid innings in his rookie season, is also going to be crucial. 

The Yankees could bring back a swingman like Ryan Yarbrough to fill the gap until Rodon comes back, or there are a few prospects who could win a chance in spring training. 

Specifically, they could look at Brendan Beck, who spent 2025 carving up the upper minors with strike-throwing and sequencing more than raw gas. 

Beck logged a sturdy AAA workload and pitched like a big boy with four pitches for strikes, quick tempo, and very few freebies. He doesn’t have great “stuff,” but he hits spots, changes speeds, and keeps the ball off barrels. Beck knows how to pitch. 

If the Yankees want a low-drama fifth starter while Rodon ramps back, Beck profiles as the “give us five-and-fly” type who won’t beat himself. After, he can yo-yo between Scranton and the Bronx without melting down the bullpen.