Carlos Rodon was acquired by the New York Yankees in the free agent market earlier this season with high hopes for his impact on the team’s pitching staff. Known for his talent and previous success with the Chicago White Sox, Rodon was expected to provide additional depth and quality to the Yankees’ rotation. However, the left-hand pitcher fell prey to injury and is yet to mark his debut in the pinstripes.
Rodon acquired a six-year $162 million contract from the Yankees in the off-season, which made him the most prized possession of the off-season for the Yankees after captain, Aaron Judge. The fans desperately waited to see him in action, but fate had other plans. First forearm and then a back injury delayed his debut multiple times. Moreover, a recent roster move made by the Yankees has further raised a lot of suspicion about the pitcher’s future participation in the ongoing season.
Yankees Transfer LHP Carlos Rodon To 60-Day IL
The New York Yankees have made the difficult decision to move pitcher Carlos Rodon to the 60-day injured list due to a lingering injury. The pitcher suffered from a forearm strain during spring training which postponed his debut. Further, Rodon complained of chronic back pain for which he had to take a cortisone shot. He recently made his way back to New York to join the team. However, on Thursday, the team dropped a bombshell as they again moved him to a 60-day IL. This move raised a lot of speculation among the fans. Many believe that the Southpaw might not get to pitch this season.
However, later, the Yankees clarified the rumors. They said that moving Carlos Rodon to 60-day IL is nothing but a collateral move to fit reliever Tommy Kahnle into the roster. Kahnle recently completed his rehab assignment in Double-A and joined the team in LA for the weekend series against the Dodgers. Hence, since there existed no space for Kahnle, the Yankees transferred Rodon to IL to make room in the 40-man roaster for the reliever. The move had certainly nothing to do with the pitcher’s injury status. In fact, Carlos is making good progress in rehab and will hit a bullpen session on Friday. Regardless, the Yankees still have no set timeline for the pitcher’s highly anticipated return.
Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson Reinstated From Brief IL Stint
The New York Yankees made some crucial roster moves on Thursday, which cheered up the fans to an extent. The key regulars, Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson, have returned to the lineup after a brief stint on IL due to hamstring issues. The duo underwent a rehab assignment with the Double-A Somerset Patriots together. While Josh played a good set of three games, Stanton featured in only one.
Regardless, the Yankees feel he remains fit enough to resume his major league duties. Hence, both players have been reinstated from IL without any restrictions. Not only that, both Stanton and Donaldson are likely to feature in the series against the Dodgers. While Stanton will play as a DH for a few weeks, Donaldson will resume his baseman duties at third base. On the other hand, Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero were optioned to Triple-A to make room for the duo.