Yankees left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón made his second Minor League rehabilitation start on May 1 as he moves closer to rejoining New York’s starting rotation after elbow surgery last October.
Rodón pitched for Double-A Somerset against Portland at TD Bank Ballpark, allowing one run on five hits and striking out eight batters over 5 1/3 innings. He threw a total of 75 pitches, with 51 going for strikes. This outing followed his previous appearance for High-A Hudson Valley, where he delivered 4 1/3 scoreless innings on April 24.
Rodón’s return comes at a time when the Yankees have been without both him and ace Gerrit Cole, who is also rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Cole recently completed his third rehab outing for Somerset, pitching 5 2/3 innings while giving up three runs and striking out three batters. Despite these absences, the Yankees’ starting pitchers have performed well this season, leading Major League Baseball with a collective earned run average of 2.74. Cam Schlittler has posted a notable ERA of 1.51 and Max Fried holds an ERA of 2.09.
Manager Aaron Boone has indicated that Rodón may need only one more rehab start before returning to the major league roster, potentially by mid-May. Cole is expected to follow sometime in May or June.
Last season was Rodón’s best since joining the Yankees after signing a six-year contract prior to the 2023 campaign. He started in thirty-three games, recording a 3.09 earned run average and earning his third career All-Star selection.
