The number that still jumps off the page is 195.1. That was how many innings Carlos Rodón gave the New York Yankees in 2025, a workload that quietly said as much about his season as the 3.09 ERA or the 203 strikeouts. It also explains why the ending felt uneasy, a dominant arm suddenly laboring as October arrived.
Rodón’s postseason wasn’t a collapse, but it wasn’t clean either. Subtle signs of discomfort crept in, the kind pitchers rarely announce until the season is over. Once the playoffs ended, the truth came out and the solution followed quickly. Surgery to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies from his elbow.
Now the Yankees are in the familiar space between reassurance and realism.
A controlled setback, not a derailment
Rodón has already been ruled out for Opening Day in 2026, and that part matters. The Yankees are not pretending otherwise. At the same time, neither the team nor the pitcher believes this is the kind of injury that wipes out half a season.
According to Yankees insider Bryan Hoch, Rodón is already in the early stages of throwing and expects to be pitching during spring training, even if he is not ready when the season opens. That detail matters more than the calendar date. Spring training innings mean April is at least on the table.
Earlier this month, Hoch estimated the Yankees were targeting a late April or early May return. A week later, that timeline still stands, with slightly more optimism that April is realistic if everything progresses cleanly. No promises, no forced acceleration, just cautious confidence.
That tone fits both the organization and the pitcher.
Rodón’s mindset has not shifted
Appearing on “Yankees Hot Stove,” Rodón described himself as being in his second week of throwing, most recently making 30 throws from distances between 60 and 75 feet. That is not flashy, but it is exactly what you want to hear at this stage. Nothing rushed. Nothing skipped.
His comments sounded like a pitcher who understands the grind more than the headlines.
“It’s just one of those things that just becomes part of the day when you’re pitching,” Rodón said. “There’s plenty of guys that are banged up, competing out there. There’s not much room to make an excuse. My job is to go out there and compete and eat as many innings as I can, and give my team the best chance to win.”
That attitude explains why the Yankees leaned on him so heavily in 2025. At 33, Rodón did not just post strong numbers. He stabilized the rotation. Eighteen wins, a sub-3.10 ERA, and nearly 200 innings are not accidental outcomes.
Why the Yankees can afford patience, but not comfort
The Yankees do not need Rodón in April to survive. They do need him healthy for the long stretch that follows. Bone spur surgeries often come with cleaner recoveries than ligament issues, but there is still risk if the return gets rushed.
Rodón acknowledged that reality himself.
“I’ll be a little behind. I’m not sure exactly when my first start will be, but I’m hoping sooner rather than later,” he said. “Obviously it’s not going to be part of the Opening Day rotation, but hopefully it’s a few weeks. Whatever it is, I just want to be 100 percent and be able to pitch in every game that I can.”
That final line matters. The Yankees are not chasing a symbolic return. They are chasing innings that look like 2025 again.
If Rodón is back by late April and pitching like the version they saw last summer, the rotation stabilizes in a way few midseason additions ever could. If he needs May, the season is still long. Either way, the priority is clear.
For the Yankees, this is less about how soon Carlos Rodón returns and more about making sure that when he does, he stays.