The New York Yankees finally have a target date for Carlos Rodón's first start with the team since signing a six-year, $162 million free-agent contract this past offseason.
Rodón on Saturday made his third minor-league rehab start and looked quite strong, with eight strikeouts and no runs in 3 2/3 innings for High-A Hudson Valley. As such, the Yankees hope he'll then be able to make his first MLB start of the season on Friday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post writes. That Friday start would be at home against the Chicago Cubs.
The lefty Rodón, 30, initially suffered a forearm strain during spring training, and during the recovery process from that injury he began dealing with a back issue, which delayed his progress and eventual return. He boasts some of the best stuff and rates-based results in all of baseball -- he's pitched to a sparkling 2.67 ERA and 4.80 K/BB ratio over the last two seasons for the White Sox and Giants -- but Rodón's injury concerns have limited his overall value (although he was largely healthy during the 2022 season).
Once he's back, Rodón figures to provide a serious boost to a Yankee rotation that's also without Nestor Cortes at the moment. The more serious issue for the Yankees is a lineup that has trouble producing without reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge, who's been out since early June with a serious toe injury and doesn't yet have a timetable for his return. Rodón's elite run prevention, however, should help lower the bar for that punchless offense.
The Yankees enter Sunday's rubber match against the Cardinals with a 46-37 record and in third place in the tough AL East. They're right now in second wild-card position in the AL.
