Of the three New York Yankees starting pitchers who are injured: Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt, it’s Rodón who will be back the earliest. Rodón is expected to be back in the early part of the 2026 MLB season.
With spring training nearing and the new season on the horizon, SNY reporter Niki Lattarulo shared the latest on Rodón and whether the player is on track with the expectation many have for his return.
“The biggest headline of the day is we got to see Carlos Rodón throw a bullpen session,” Lattarulo said in a Feb. 14 video from SNY. “He’s already thrown about five or six this spring, but it was the first time we got to see him and the first time he’s thrown off the mound in over a week.
“He told me in the clubhouse he got a PRP injection in his left elbow about 10 days ago. So this was the first time throwing a bullpen session since he got that injection.”
Moreover, Lattarulo shared a conversation she had with the Yankees starter about when he expects to return.
“He said, ‘Right now, they’re just working on upping the velocity. It’s a slow progression up. They don’t want to rush it, but his range of motion is right where they would want it to be,'” Lattarulo added.
“… I asked him when we can expect to see him back, and he said, ‘Hopefully sooner rather than later.’ He was also asked, maybe April, and he laughed and said, ‘That would be great.'”
Gerrit Cole Expected to Still Be an Ace for New York
As for Cole, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that he expects the veteran pitcher to return to his formerself and be an ace after Tommy John surgery caused him to miss the 2025 season.
“I think so,” Boone told reporters on Feb. 13 (h/t SNY). “I’m not going to put anything past Gerrit Cole. Again, he’s so good at his craft. The success rate on these surgeries is usually pretty good, and the way the rehab process has gone would suggest that he’s going to return to form.
“I know sometimes that’s a work in progress. Sometimes, in the early starts, as you’re working your way back, everyone is different in that regard. But I’m not going to put any ceiling on what Gerrit could do once he’s back in the rotation.”
Yankees Will Take Their Time With Gerrit Cole
Moreover, Boone intends to ease Cole’s workload and doesn’t plan to make him a workhorse as soon as the Yankees star is ready to go. With New York eyeing a World Series win, it will be ideal to take their time with Cole to ensure that, once the fall comes around, Boone can take the reins off him.
“The reality is he didn’t pitch last year on top of having that surgery,” Boone added (h/t SNY). “We want to make sure we give him the proper time to make sure he is good and ready to come back, built up in a smart way.
“So no, we won’t rush that with him, even if it continues to go incredibly well. You’ve got to be cognizant of the innings that he missed last year, and you want to be able to maximize those as much as you can and have him in the best, safest position he is in once he returns to roll.”
Yankees Reporter Drops Major Carlos Rodón Injury Update