Carlos Rodón, left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees, is making progress in his recovery from left elbow surgery and expects to return to the team’s rotation early in the 2026 season. In an interview with the YES Network, Rodón said he is in his second week of throwing and recently made 30 throws at distances between 60 and 75 feet. He underwent surgery in October to address a bone spur and remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.
“It’s just one of those things that just becomes part of the day when you’re pitching,” Rodón said. “There’s plenty of guys that are banged up, competing out there. There’s not much room to make an excuse. My job is to go out there and compete and eat as many innings as I can, and give my team the best chance to win.”
Rodón, 33, finished the 2025 season with career highs in wins (18), starts (33), and innings pitched (195 1/3). He posted an 18-9 record with a 3.09 ERA and recorded 203 strikeouts. The Yankees won both of his postseason starts despite him leaving early in Game 3 of the American League Division Series against Toronto—a game highlighted by Aaron Judge’s tying home run.
During last season, Rodón adjusted his pitching style due to changes in his elbow condition. His fastball usage dropped while he relied more on sliders, changeups, and added a sinker into his repertoire. Meanwhile, he reduced his use of curveballs and nearly stopped throwing cutters.
“I had to learn to pitch a little more,” Rodón said. “I’m grateful for the staff around me, our training staff and everybody that had a part in that to get me through the year.”
The Yankees’ starting rotation faces challenges going into next season with Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt all recovering from injuries. Of these pitchers, Rodón appears closest to returning; he expects some Grapefruit League appearances during spring training but anticipates starting the regular season on Minor League rehab assignments rather than with the main club.
“I’ll be a little behind. I’m not sure exactly when my first start will be, but I’m hoping sooner rather than later,” Rodón said. “Obviously it’s not going to be part of the Opening Day rotation, but hopefully it’s a few weeks. Whatever it is, I just want to be 100 percent and be able to pitch in every game that I can.”
Rodón also spoke about Cam Schlittler’s emergence last summer as a promising young pitcher who helped secure a Wild Card Series win against Boston with strong performances.
“Hopefully this year he truly becomes a pitcher and learns how to not always rely on that fastball,” Rodón said. “I think he’s got plenty of other weapons that I don’t think everybody knows about, and I’m sure he’ll be featuring those this year. He’s got the opportunity to become a very great pitcher in this game for a long time.”
Off the field, Rodón was inducted into North Carolina State University’s Ring of Honor alongside other notable alumni such as Mike Caldwell, Dan Plesac, and Trea Turner earlier this offseason.
He will also receive recognition from the New York Baseball Writers’ Association of America with the Joan Payson/Shannon Forde Award for Community Service in January for foundation work supporting couples facing infertility or pregnancy loss through grants provided by him and his wife Ashley.
“It’s a great honor,” Rodón said. “My wife puts a lot of time into this, and so do I. We were just working on giving out grants and calling people, and taking videos telling people they received grants. The work never stops. We’re just constantly doing stuff, trying to help as many people as we can.”
