The New York Yankees went full bullish during this year’s off-season. In a bid to construct a potent and heavyweight lineup, the team cashed out around $300 million of payroll. Despite everything, the Bronx Bombers are struggling to compete in the East, let alone for the world series championship. With 46-38, they are standing third in AL-East, way farther than sailing Tampa Bay Rays.
One of the Yankees’ most prized possession of the off-season, left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon, arrived in New York with a lot of promises. He had just ditched the Giants to become a Yankee and was desperately gearing up for a debut which has still not happened, courtesy of his troubling injury history. However, it seems like after three full months of a long wait, the southpaw will finally be donning the pinstripes on the mound.
Yankees Carlos Rodon Clears Rehab Assignment, Could Return On Friday
New York Yankees signed LHP Carlos Rodon for a whopping $162 million six-year contract during this off-season. He became the only pitcher after Gerrit Cole to receive such a high salary. But in a pursuit to strengthen the rotation, the Bombers were ready to give it all. However, all of those excitement, anticipation, and expectation fell apart when the pitcher sustained a forearm injury on his throwing arm. Setbacks kept piling up one after the other during his rehab program, which halted his debut for the longest time. Amid such dire circumstances, Rodon did not give up even for a second and kept fighting.
Owing to his resilience, Carlos Rodon was able to resume throwing bullpen sessions last month. His speedy progress impressed the Yankees coaching staff, which decided to pace up his recovery plan. They scheduled a rehab assignment which took place last week. Rodon was asked to make three starts and throw major league-level pitches while maintaining significant velocity. The last outing of the assignment took place on Saturday, and Rodon ended up pitching 3.2 shutout innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out eight batters. With that, the pitcher is now clear to rejoin the Yankees lineup and will likely make his long-awaited debut on July 7 against Chicago Cubs.
Carlos Rodon Itching To Be A Yankee!
After his latest rehab assignment game, Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon addressed the reporters on the sidelines and gave his reaction on a possible debut on Friday. Firstly, Rodon said that he is extremely excited at the moment and is not thinking about his positioning in the rotation. He is ready to pitch wherever the team needs him to. All the left-hander wants right now is to step on the mound and contribute to the team’s success.
Further, Carlos Rodon spoke about the excessive media coverage he has received over the past few months due to his injuries. He replied that when you become a Yankee, you are indirectly signing up for this, and it’s just a part of the game of baseball. The pitcher has no issues with it and instead kind of welcomed it. To conclude, both Rodon and the Yankees are extremely elated with the pitcher’s return which comes at the right time.
