TAMPA — The Yankees can hardly afford to rely on Carlos Rodon to perform again this season, with ace Gerrit Cole sidelined for at least a month or two, if not more, with an elbow injury. It is even truer because of this.
So Rodon’s encouraging pitching in the fourth inning against the Red Sox on Wednesday, when he allowed just one runner, was a sign that the Yankees might be able to survive Cole’s absence. .
And without Cole at the top of the rotation for the time being, the spotlight will likely be even more on Rodon.
“As far as pressure, that’s part of the game,” Rodon said.
But manager Aaron Boone acknowledged what lies ahead for the 31-year-old, who is coming off one of the worst debut seasons in Yankees history.
“I don’t think Carlos needs any more pressure than the perceived pressure on him,” Boone said. “We came in last year and we went through the injury situation, we had a down year, we didn’t perform up to our standards, but is Gerrit Cole here or is Gerrit Cole out? There’s a lot of noise around it. He wants to forget last year. Is there more pressure? Everyone’s looking at Carlos now. A lot is at stake.”
Because he’s under the microscope, no one could tell that Rodon’s four-seam fastball peaked at 94.8 mph and averaged 93.2 mph in his last start, raising some red flags.
Speeds increased Wednesday, hitting a top speed of 97.3 mph and an average speed of 94.6 mph.
Rodon also held the Red Sox’ lineup, which lacked regular players, to just one hit, an extra-base home run by left-hander Triston Casas in the top of the fourth inning.
Coach Boone praised Rodon’s command of his fastball and slider, saying, “I thought Carlos was sharp.” “It was a good outing.”
Rodon, who pitched after seven days of rest, threw 68 pitches, allowed no walks, and allowed three runs, in contrast to the previous game against the Rays, where he allowed two home runs in three innings. .
Rodon is looking to bounce back after a disastrous first season with the Yankees after signing a six-year, $162 million contract before last season.
Forearm and back issues delayed his debut last season, and when Rodon finally took the mound in July, he was mostly terrible.
Radon, who started 14 games and posted a 6.85 ERA, looked nothing like the pitcher who was in the Cy Young Award race the past two seasons.
Boone said Rodon is expected to start the second game of the season, although the opening date has not yet been announced.
“Whether it’s one game, five games, seven games or 12 games, I’ll take every game I have to pitch,” Rodon said. “It would be great to start the season and actually pitch. I don’t want to miss any more Opening Days, that’s for sure.”
