The Yankees’ $162 million man Carlos Rodon will start the year on the injured list, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in Florida on Thursday.
Cashman said that Rodon is dealing with a left forearm strain, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. The Yankees GM said that “in an ideal world” Rodon would be back sometime in April and that he would not throw for the next 7-10 days.
Rodon told reporters that he could manage the issue, but he felt that it was too early to have to work through something.
“I’m not here to pitch ‘til the All-Star break. I’m here to pitch long into October and whenever this team needs me,” Rodon said, according to NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera.
The Yankees signed him to a six-year contract this offseason and he made his spring debut on Sunday. He was lit up in that outing, surrendering five runs on six hits and had two home runs hit off him in the effort.
Rodon had been going through a renaissance of sorts the past two years as one of the most dominant pitchers in major league baseball. He boasted a 2.67 ERA (157 ERA+), 2.42 FIP and 33.9% strikeout rate over the last two seasons and most importantly remained relatively healthy through that span.
It had been a massive transformation for Rodon, who had Tommy John Surgery in 2019 and fundamentally changed the way he threw, adjusted his diet and his workout.
The injury to Rodon is the latest issue that the Yankees have had with their starting rotation. Frankie Montas is already expected to miss significant time this season after having to undergo shoulder surgery and Nestor Cortes is working his way back from a hamstring issue that forced him to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic.
Manager Aaron Boone had said that Cortes could start the year as the fifth starter, with Gerrit Cole and Rodon being the first two pitchers in the rotation.
Cashman also announced that Tommy Kahnle and Lou Trivino will also start the season on the IL.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
