The highly anticipated debut of Carlos Rodon with the New York Yankees has encountered another setback. On Friday, the starter disclosed that his back problem was a “chronic” issue and that he planned to receive a cortisone epidural next week in the hopes of expediting his recovery. When questioned about the possibility of a comeback in July, the prized free agent signing left it to the team’s training staff.
Things have not gone well for the New York Yankees so far this season, and now it seems like their new $168 million pitcher may have to wait even longer to make his debut.
Carlos Rodon’s chronic back pain
MLB.com‘s Bryan Hoch cited starter Carlos Rodon to report that the Yankees’ top free-agent pitching acquisition admitted of having a “chronic” back ailment that necessitated an epidural for pain management.
Carlos Rodon stated he couldn’t set a timeline on his rehabilitation when asked whether he may return in July.
“I’ll get this injection, and I’ll want to throw as soon as I can,” he said. “Whenever my body tells me I can throw and everyone comes to an agreement that I can throw, I’ll start throwing. I would have thought I’d be pitching here for the club now.”
Most Yankees fans don’t want to hear about another delay after waiting more than a month for Carlos Rodon to make his debut after he signed a six-year, $168 million contract with the team in December.
“I can’t put a timeline on anything,” Carlos Rodon told reporters. “I’ll get this injection and I want to throw as soon as I can.”
After Carlos Rodon’s first spring training start, he was placed on the disabled list with a forearm injury. The stiffness in his back delayed his debut with the Yankees further after it surfaced in the middle of April.
Fans feel cheated
Carlos Rodon had just finished his finest season of his career with the San Francisco Giants when he signed the Yankees contract. He pitched 178 innings while striking out 237 batters with a 14-8 record, 2.88 ERA, and 1.028 WHIP. The 30-year-old had the greatest FIP (2.25) and strikeout rate (33.4%) of any MLB starter.
However, the southpaw has had a history of injury issues. This occurred in spring training when he was sidelined by a forearm injury, and happened again in April when the back pain initially showed. A forearm issue forced Carlos Rodon to begin the season on the 15-day injured list, and he remains there at this time.
The Yankees have a lot of issues right now, and this is just one of them. They have a 17-15 record, which would be excellent in most leagues but leaves them in last place in the challenging American League East. In addition to Rodón, the Yankees have Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Luis Severino, Jonathan Loáisiga, and Frankie Montas on the injured list. However, Harrison Bader has come back.
Two days have passed since Carlos Rodon last threw. After he receives the shot, he won’t throw again for a few days. He keeps trying to get the chance to throw, but the Yankees are very careful.
“It’s hard,” Carlos Rodon said. “I wanted to throw today, I wanted to throw yesterday. But that’s why we have the training staff we do have, so I don’t do something stupid and make it worse.”
Every major off-season signing of an MLB starting pitcher has ended in failure up to this point. Even though the Carlos Rodon deal is off to a bad start, it might be worth pointing out that he’s not the only pitcher who got a big contract over the summer, it’s important to remember that. The New York Yankees opened the weekend in last place in the AL East on Friday.
Others in Carlos Rodon league
The complete list of this offseason’s $40 million-plus contract signing and their current season standings:
| Player | Team | Contract size | Where is the player |
| Jacob deGrom | Texas Rangers | $185 million | Sore right arm, on injured list after a few starts. |
| Carlos Rodon | Yankees | $168 million | Injured, yet to start |
| Edwin Díaz | New York Mets | $102 million | Torn patellar tendon at the World Baseball Classic, won’t play this season |
| Justin Verlander | New York Mets | $86.7 million | Returned from a shoulder injury on May 4 |
| Kodai Senga | New York Mets | $75 million | 4.15 ERA in 26 innings |
| Taijuan Walker | Philadelphia Phillies | $72 million | 6.91 ERA in 28 2/3 innings |
| Jameson Taillon | Chicago Cub | $68 million | 5.29 ERA in 17 innings |
| Chris Bassitt | Toronto Blue Jays | $63 million | 5.18 ERA in 33 innings |
| Robert Suarez | San Diego Padres | $46 million | on 60-day IL, elbow inflammation |
Aaron Judge update
On Friday, Aaron Judge went to the spring training facility to get in a workout. He was continuing to make progress in his rehabilitation from a strained right hip. According to Boone, Judge has been hitting indoors, running, throwing, and practicing defensive skills at the Yankees’ nearby Tampa facility in preparation for his return from the 10-day disabled list on Monday. Boone expects Judge to return to the lineup maybe early next week when he resumes his workouts on Saturday.
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