Carlos Rodon’s rough outing casts doubt on Yankees’ $162M investment

Once again, Carlos Rodon‘s performance leaves much to be desired. The southpaw, signed by the Yankees for a hefty six-year, $162 million contract during the offseason, struggled through four innings on Tuesday. He surrendered four hits, four earned runs, four walks, and two home runs giving a rude shock to many Yankees fans expecting him to power the rotation.

Carlos Rodon acknowledged that he wished he had performed better during the game that ended in a 5-2 defeat at Yankee Stadium.

Although Carlos Rodon had some promising moments in two out of his five starts this season, the other three performances were subpar, including Tuesday’s game against the Rays, which resulted in the Yankees’ second loss in the three-game series. This puts the Yankees‘ expensive acquisition under the spotlight.

Carlos Rodon fell to the Rays’ trap

Carlos Rodon stated that he didn’t feel fatigued during the game. But he acknowledged that the Rays’ lineup made him work hard. They managed to make solid contact on his good pitches, and he recognized their strength as a formidable batting order.

In Carlos Rodon’s second and third starts of the season against the Rockies (July 14) and Angels (July 19), there were striking similarities. He allowed a total of eight hits, 10 earned runs, seven walks, and three home runs in just 9 ¹/₃ innings.

Carlos Rodon acknowledged that he felt the slider was working well during the week leading up to the game, but unfortunately, it didn’t perform as expected during the actual game, and the Rays capitalized on it.

“I felt it at times throughout this week leading up but I found the slider in the zone and it just didn’t show up during the game and they made me pay.”

Aaron Boone blamed ‘lengthy at-bats’

Carlos Rodon and manager Aaron Boone attributed the issue to prolonged at-bats. The Yankees skipper explained that the struggle arose from the hitters prolonging the at-bats, causing Carlos Rodon to face challenges. He noted that Rodon’s fastball was effective at the top of the zone, but the hitters managed to spoil multiple pitches, resulting in a few walks.

Boone observed that the opposing team managed to outlast Carlos Rodon by consistently engaging in tough, long at-bats against him. During the game, the Yankees starter found himself in four full-count at-bats and five 2-2 count battles, contributing to a decline in his record to 1-4 and a rise in his ERA to 6.29.

Carlos Rodon acknowledged that he felt inconsistent at times during the game, stating, “Yeah, for sure.” He pointed out instances like the leadoff walk in the second inning and falling behind the count, which allowed the Rays to capitalize and make him pay. The starter also admitted his struggles with the command on the side of the fastball.

Carlos Rodon expressed the need to keep refining his game and mentioned that he would work through the five days during the upcoming week.

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