WAPPINGERS FALLS — Another day, another New York Yankees all-star flamethrower taking the mound in Dutchess County.
Following Gerrit Cole’s appearance for the Hudson Valley Renegades as he continued the progression through a rehab assignment, Friday night was Carlos Rodon’s time to step onto the mound in real action for the first time in 2026.
The 33-year-old lefty and three-time all-star was a rotation stalwart for the Yankees in 2025. Making a league-high 33 starts and and earning a sixth-place finish in AL CY Young voting, Rodon pitched to a 3.09 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP while striking out 203 batters in just over 195 innings pitched.
On Friday night, it looked as if Rodon didn’t miss a beat. He allowed just one hit in 4 1/3 innings pitched, striking out four batters while allowing one walk.
“It’s just about getting back on the bike and feeling the slope out,” Rodon said with a chuckle after his performance, mentioning the importance of getting in the routine of a game again. “It was good to get back into a game and have some baserunners. There was a little bit of adrenaline to it.”
Making his first start in his respective rehab assignment, Rodon is recovering from an October surgery to remove bone chips and a spur from his throwing elbow. Although with limited action, this was an important first step back for the top-line starter.
It was also the first time Rodon has made a rehab start with the Renegades since the 2023 season while the stadium was undergoing major renovations. One night after Cole said that he’s “never seen a High-A facility quite as nice,” when discussing Heritage Financial Park, Rodon echoed the same sentiment regarding what the Yankees organization has created at the park since taking over the franchise several years ago.
“It’s been a great experience for me. Everyone has been so accommodating and as you know these facilities are great,” Rodon said. “It’s a pretty place man, it’s a nice place to pitch.”
With the current Yankees starting rotation leading all of Major League Baseball in pitching ERA (3.07,) and the emergence of players like Cam Schlittler (1.77 ERA) and Ryan Weathers (3.18 ERA) just to name a few, the rotation is about to be quite crowded when both Cole and Rodon finally get back to the Bronx.
After Cole said his goal was to just “not drop the ball” in his return, Rodon was on the same page.
“I’m just trying to win games man. I’m just trying to go deep in games and eat as many innings as I can,” he said, quickly talking about the current success of the entire pitching staff. “They’re all running pretty well right now.”
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Carlos Rodon returns with the Renegades for first rehab start
Reporting by Eric Decker, Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
