Carlos Rodon had a standout season with the San Francisco Giants in 2022, earning an All-Star selection and finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young Award. However, despite good numbers, he opted out of his two-year contract and entered the off-season as a free agent, wherein the New York Yankees signed him in an expensive deal. The Bronx Bombers made an offer of six-year, $162 million, which the pitcher could not refuse.
With that, Carlos Rodon became the second most expensive acquisition of the 2023 off-season for the Yankees after Aaron Judge ($360 million). Naturally, the anticipation and hype around the pitcher was sky high. The fans were eager to see him in action, donning the pinstripes. However, all off-season efforts went to dust when Rodon encountered an injury setback.
Carlos Rodon To Mark His Much Anticipated Debut For Yankees On Friday!
Just after a single outing during his spring training, Carlos Rodon strained his forearm and was out of the opening-day contest. However, the injury was low-grade, and Rodon was expected to heal in a short time. But, as fate had it, the pitcher suffered another setback during rehab when he developed chronic back stiffness. That not only delayed his return but also wiped out his hard-earned progress. Later, the Southpaw took multiple cortisone shots and returned back to the mound. The Yankees summoned him to the Bronx to train under the supervision of the team’s best and quality staff.
A week ago, Carlos Rodon was assigned a rehab assignment wherein he made three starts with Double-A and High-A. In the whole course of the assignment, he allowed just one run and one three hits while striking out 17 across 10.2 innings pitched. Also, the pitcher was able to maintain a significant pitch count and velocity. As a result, the Yankees have reinstated him from 60-day IL and paved his way for a debut. Rodon is set to make his much-awaited debut in pinstripes on Friday against his ex-team, Chicago Cubs. It’s a crucial development for the Yanks, as they certainly need a strong arm in the rotation to assist ace Gerrit Cole. With Nestor Cortes on IL and Luis Severino struggling, the Bomber’s rotation is in shambles. It would be interesting to see if Rodon can live up to the hype.
Rodon Excited For Upcoming Debut, Reveals Yankees Manager
Ahead of Carlos Rodon’s highly anticipated debut, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has confirmed that the pitcher looks good enough to pitch like his usual self. Especially after the last start, Boone felt that Rodon had got a great groove and rhythm. Further, the skipper added that the pitcher has been itching for a comeback for a while now. He feels a sense of responsibility towards the team and desperately wants to contribute.
Meanwhile, the man of the hour, Carlos Rodon, also spoke about his forthcoming debut and said that he is looking forward to it. He had to take up additional recovery steps during rehab to tick off some boxes. But after the rehab assignment, Rodon feels ready. Moreover, the left-hander is open to pitching whenever and wherever the team needs him to. All eyes are on the Yankees’ Friday outing against Chicago Cubs.
