Yankees' Carlos Rodon to receive back injection
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gerrit Cole and other Yankees pitchers lit up with joy when Carlos Rodon walked into the team’s clubhouse at Tropicana Field on Friday.
Rodon, the Yankees’ biggest offseason addition, has been sidelined since sustaining a left forearm strain early in spring training. But lately, a nagging mid-back issue has been delaying his return.
The Yankees starter will receive a cortisone-like injection for his nagging back early next week. Rodon and the team sought three opinions on the matter, and all agreed this was the best course of action.
“I think it’ll be better in the long run,” Rodon said before the Yanks’ series opener against the Rays, “and I’ll be better coming out of it.”
Rodon added that he’s never dealt with something like this before, but doctors called his back issue “a chronic thing’ following scans.
“For some reason, now is when it wants to act out,” he said.
Rodon’s back is not hurting him, but tightness is restricting him on the mound. He said that his command is “not good at all” right now, but his bullpen velocity has been normal. He said his forearm is fine.
Rodon has not thrown in two days, though that wasn’t necessarily his choice. He last faced hitters on April 5.
“I wanted to throw today. I wanted to throw yesterday,” he said. “But that’s why we have the training staff we have, so I don’t do something stupid and make something worse. But I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t pushing.”
Rodon said he notices his back issue the most when he’s throwing, but he’s been “timid” about picking things up. He’ll resume throwing after the injection as soon as he’s cleared to, but a timeline for that is unclear. The same goes for the southpaw’s Yankees debut.
“Let’s get it done and we’ll see where we’re at,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the injection.
Added Rodon: “It really sucks. I want to be pitching for the New York Yankees. I want to be pitching in this series and with the boys. I want to be competing. It’s hard to sit here and not be doing it.”
Other injury updates
Oswald Peraza’s swelling has gone down since he rolled his ankle late in Wednesday’s game, though Boone added he’s got a sprain. Peraza is day-to-day, and Boone will stay away from him Friday.
Boone said that things went well for Luis Severino in an intrasquad game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday. The righty, recovering from a lat injury, threw three innings and 40 pitches. Severino’s next step is a rehab start at Double-A or Triple-A.
Aaron Judge (right hip strain) ran, threw and did defensive work at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa on Friday morning, per Boone. Judge and Josh Donaldson (hamstring) hit inside. Boone said Tuesday is the current target for Judge’s return.
Tommy Kahnle (bicep tendinitis) will throw another bullpen Sunday or Monday before he starts facing hitters.
Finally, Harrison Bader went through concussion protocol following a collision in the outfield Wednesday, but he’s alright. He batted sixth and played center Friday.
Extra help for Holmes
Clay Holmes’ rough week has been a popular subject in Yankee land. On Friday, Boone said that he thought the ground ball-heavy pitcher has “naturally” been negatively impacted by new restrictions on the shift.
Boone added that the Yankees could start using more five-man alignments — aka pulling an outfielder — with Holmes pitching.
Holmes’ ground ball rate was 51.7% entering Friday, down from 75.8% last year. His line drive rate is also 34.5%, compared to 12.1% in 2022. Holmes has also seen his walk rate increase from 7.7% to 10.4%.
