Last year, it was Gerrit Cole; this year, it is Carlos Rodón for the Yankees. Last year, the Yankees missed Cole for the entire season, and the result was terrible. Their pitching staff ranked 14th in 2025 with a 3.91 ERA. Now that Cole is about to return, the Yankees are on the verge of losing Rodón for an extended time!

Right when Rodón was reported to start his first rehab later this week, the Yankees didn’t need the new injury update.

“I don’t know if it’s going to slow him at all, but it could be something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday night’s game in Seattle. “So, we’ll see what we have there.”

If Boone’s projection comes true, it would be a huge blow for the Yankees.

Last year, Rodón had his best season as a Yankee. He pitched to an 18-9 record and a 3.09 ERA, en route to his third All-Star selection. In the absence of Cole and Luis Gil, Rodón and Max Fried led the rotation.

Gil’s absence comes from a strategic decision to utilize a four-man rotation, driven by several early-season off-days. Following an uneven spring and a 2025 season hampered by injury, the Yankees are using this time to refine his mechanics, keep him on a starter’s routine, and utilize an extra bullpen arm.

The Yankees have four off-days in the first 13 days of the season, making a fifth starter unnecessary until mid-April. Now, Gil is optioned to Triple-A.

However, Rodón’s injury came to light in February when he revealed that he played the entire 2025 season with elbow pain. He reportedly underwent surgery to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies.

After that, Rodón started targeting an April return. However, per Boone, Rodon has developed hamstring tightness while performing running-conditioning work on Monday, March 30, 2026. Now, it could extend his recovery period.

Rodón recently threw 50 pitches against live batters and was scheduled to hit the field with the Double-A Somerset this week. But now, the projected return of the $162 million arm will be delayed.

While the exact delay in return is not confirmed, the Yankees’ pitching depth would get tested at the beginning of the season, much like what happened last year.

While Cole hit the mound in the spring, he is reportedly still months away from his MLB debut.

“Gerrit Cole, a little more likely later on, maybe May or June timetable for him,” MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported.

So, for now, if Rodón’s return gets delayed to May and Cole comes back in June, the Yankees would be without two elite arms for the next two months.

The Yankees’ pitching depth is again in the limelight

Last year, the Yankees faced the same scene after losing Gil and Cole. Boone created a rotation of Fried, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, and Marcus Stroman. And surely enough, the strategy was not seamless.

Stroman blew it up with a 6.23 ERA before the Yankees released him. This year, there are nearly the same options for Boone.

Fried took over as the starter in the opening game, and the rotation consisted of Warren, Schlittler, and Ryan Weathers. While Gil’s availability is a positive thing for the Yankees, his struggles from limited innings last year were clearly visible.

He finished with a 3.32 ERA with 41 SOs. Remember the game against the Marlins when Gil allowed five runs in just 3.1 innings.

Boone would certainly hope it doesn’t repeat this year.

Meanwhile, Weathers’ struggle in the spring, especially against the Blue Jays, where he gave up 7 runs, would be another sour point for the Yankees. Although Weathers’ regular-season debut for the Yankees was better, with 7 SOs and 1 run against the Mariners.

Boone has a few names to test before Cole and Rodón come back. But one more injury would bring disaster to the team.

Currently, the Yankees are leading the AL East with a 4-1 record. But we can’t help but remember how they blew up their initial dominance by mid-season in 2025. Hopefully, Boone would handle the circumstances better this time.