The New York Yankees remain without two of their best starters as Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon continue to rehab from injuries. However, the rotation has held its own so far.
Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren are currently in the rotation, and when Cole and Rodon do return, one of these arms would have to move to the bullpen. That’s unless the Yankees want to deploy a six-man rotation, but pitching coach Matt Blake made it clear that’s likely not going to happen.
“Obviously, we’d have to have a conversation about it, but it’s just difficult to do when you don’t have the extra [reliever],” Blake told the Daily News. “If you have eight relievers and you go down to seven relievers, it’s just hard to execute that on a regular basis.
“The starters have to consistently give you length because seven relievers is just a tricky dynamic. It just takes one blow-up to hurt the pen.”
New York Yankees’ Rotation Holding it Down
GettyStarting pitcher Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Considering Rodon and Cole have been on the shelf, the Yankees’ 3.89 ERA as a rotation is quite respectable. Honestly, it would be even lower if it weren’t for Luis Gil’s struggles, who was recently demoted to the bullpen after posting an ERA over six.
Fried has a 2.40 ERA. Schittler has compiled a 1.77 ERA. Will Warren also has an ERA under three, while Will Warren’s ERA sits at 2.59. This staff’s ability to pitch deep into ballgames is a huge reason New York is sitting in first place in the American League.
Having too many consistent starters is a good problem to have for the Yankees. Their bullpen’s ERA sits at 3.92, which isn’t terrible by any means, but Blake noted that Warren or Weathers are the two likeliest candidates to become relievers in the future when the Cole-Rodon duo is at 100%. Weathers has previously pitched out of the bullpen in his career.
Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon Progressing
The Yankees are in great shape. They’re playing solid baseball all-around, and that’s without two elite arms. Rodon made his first rehab start last week, and he’ll need at least two more in the minors before a return is even considered. New York is being cautious after he experienced hamstring tightness while recovering from an offseason elbow procedure.
As for Cole, he didn’t pitch at all in 2025 after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing righty has made two rehab starts so far. Both starters probably won’t be back in the mix until late May or early June.
Blake reiterated that the Yankees aren’t worried about making these rotation decisions right now, as time will reveal all.
“It’s just too many unknowns with too much time ahead of us to worry too much about it,” Blake said. “A lot of times, it’ll sort itself out. Whether it be performance or health, we’ll have a clear indication.
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