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Yankees Starter Suffers Potential New Injury During Rehab
Main Photo Credits: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

New York Yankees starter Carlos Rodón reported tightness in his right hamstring while going through his throwing program on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said. It could be a worrisome development for an already shorthanded Yankees rotation. Boone commented, “We’ll see what we have there.” The left-hander was preparing for an early April rehab assignment as he continues his recovery from offseason elbow surgery.

Carlos Rodón Reports Hamstring Tightness During Rehab Assignment Prep

The Yankees were planning on getting Rodón back sooner rather than later, as his recovery seemed to be going well. It would have been one of two expected boosts to the staff. Gerrit Cole is on track to return from Tommy John surgery as summer approaches.

While Rodón’s Yankees tenure has been uneven, his performance in the past two seasons has made him one of the team’s essential starters. In 2024, he went 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA, a 1.223 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts in 175 innings of work. It was a huge improvement from his first year in the Bronx, where injuries limited him to 64 1/3 innings, and he had a 6.85 ERA. Last season, Rodón was even better. He pitched to an 18-9 record with a 3.09 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, and 203 strikeouts in 195 1/3 innings.

Despite the improvement in the regular season, Rodón has been mostly rocky in the postseason as a Yankee. Aside from two good starts against the Cleveland Guardians in the 2024 American League Championship Series, it’s been rough going in October. In eight career postseason starts (including two with the Chicago White Sox), Rodón owns an ERA of 7.53.

Even with Rodón’s occasional volatility, he is an essential piece for the Yankees. New York knew early on in the offseason that they would not have him by Opening Day, along with shortstop Anthony Volpe, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and will begin a rehab assignment in mid-April. But with Rodón potentially out even longer now, the Yankees would have to keep getting by with less experienced arms behind current ace Max Fried.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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