New York Yankees starting pitcher continues to throw and feels “great” in his rehab from elbow surgery undergone in October.
“Just trying to lube up this elbow joint and get it going for this season,” Rodon told Foul Territory during the New York Baseball Writers’ Gala. “They took a lot of bones out, but it’s better now, and it’s now just building it up.”
In the three months since undergoing the procedure, Rodon has seen a significant improvement in his range of motion and extension. Before the procedure, the discomfort was so bad that he could not button his shirt or touch the top of his head.
But now he is throwing regularly down in Florida and will continue to do so as he hits the final stages of his rehab. The Yankees revealed in December that the veteran southpaw is expected to miss the first month of the season, with a potential return coming in late April.
That timetable appears to still be on track, as this recovery process has been somewhat easier compared to the Tommy John surgery he had to come back from in 2019. Partly because he got to start throwing so much quicker this winter.
“I’ve gone through [rehabs] a couple times,” Rodon said. “Tommy John can be a lonely place because it’s such a long and monotonous rehab, and you’re watching your boys play, and it’s 16 months, and you’re watching a whole season of baseball as a fan doing whatever it is… it can be a lonely journey. This one’s a little different, just a little scope. I got back to throwing fairly quickly, eight weeks. It doesn’t really feel like too much of a rehab, so I’m hoping I don’t miss too much time.”
Rodon, 33, had his best season as a Yankee in 2025, throwing a career-high 195.1 innings and going 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA with 203 strikeouts. He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
The Yankees’ rotation as a whole will be getting a late start in 2026. Gerrit Cole, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is not expected back until late May, early June.
