The New York Yankees will be without left-hander Carlos Rodon until after the All-Star break, at a minimum. Rodon was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Yankees with elbow inflammation.
However, the left-hander might not be done for the year. Rodon told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that his ulnar collateral ligament is intact, has heavy inflammation, and that he hopes he isn’t shut down for too long.
This marks the second time this year that Rodon will go on the injured list with an elbow issue. He missed the first six weeks of the season with offseason elbow surgery to address loose bodies.
Rodon has made nine starts for the Yankees this season since returning to the rotation on May 10. He’s currently 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA, with the team going 5-4 in his starts.
What the Carlos Rodon Injury Means for the Yankees
Rodon told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News that he’ll be shut down for at least a week.
At this point in the season, every week Carlos Rodon is shut down decreases his chances of returning to the rotation. It takes roughly one to two weeks for a starting pitcher to ramp up after being shut down.
If Rodon isn’t close to throwing again by the time the August 3 trade deadline comes along, it could drastically change their strategy. It increases the urgency to add a starter, although Max Fried’s rehab will also have a say in that.
The Yankees currently field a rotation of Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren, meaning they’re one starter short. They’ll need someone to fill Rodon’s rotation spot on July 4.
The answer could be right-hander Brendan Beck. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Kirschner, that Beck will pitch that game. They haven’t decided if he’ll start the game.
The latest update on Fried is that he threw a two-inning simulated game on June 30, with a pitch count of 30. He faced injured hitters Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan McMahon in the sim game.
Yankees Deadline Situation
As the Yankees get a clearer picture of when Rodon and Fried could return this season, that could spur them to pursue starting pitching.
Assuming no further setbacks, Fried could return ahead of the deadline. It depends on how aggressively the Yankees want to push the left-hander in his rehab from a bone bruise in his elbow.
Rodon’s injury also bears watching. If his shutdown period carries past the trade deadline, it makes more sense to move him to the bullpen to finish the season. He won’t have enough time to stretch out as a starter.
Had the Yankees gotten to full strength with their rotation, Ryan Weathers was a candidate to move to the bullpen. But with Rodon sidelined, they’ll have different conversations on how to proceed with their rotation.
The club’s top priority is still adding more impact arms to the back of their bullpen. David Bednar and Fernando Cruz will remain as the Yankees’ top leverage relievers, but the rest of the unit could see a shift. The only question will be where the club looks to add.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Yankees’ Trade Deadline Plans Could Change After Carlos Rodon Injury News appeared first on HEAVY.