The Yankees are once again shuffling their rotation, and this time it’s Carlos Rodon heading to the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation.
Rodon was lined up to start Saturday, July 4, but the team made the move ahead of that outing. The left-hander, 33, had already spent the early part of the season working his way back after offseason elbow surgery, and he’s still put together a solid line when healthy, posting a 3.30 ERA across nine starts.
This latest setback comes after Rodon underwent surgery last October to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. The Yankees have been taking a measured approach with his buildup, and there’s still optimism that he won’t be out long. According to CBS Sports, Rodon is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon.
Manager Aaron Boone said the club has been careful with the process from the start. “He’s responded well to everything; we haven’t rushed anything with him.” Boone also pointed to the Yankees’ pitching depth, saying he believes the staff can handle the loss for now.
The timing isn’t ideal for a team already in a rough stretch. New York enters tonight’s game against the Minnesota Twins on a seven-game losing streak, and Rodon’s absence only adds to the pressure on a rotation that’s already dealing with injuries. Gerrit Cole is among the pitchers sidelined as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, leaving the Yankees to lean on the rest of their arms in the coming days.
In Other News...
Twins Farm Gets One Needed Boost Amid Another Concerning Update
The Twins farm system got a little healthier in one spot and a little thinner in another, a familiar tradeoff at this time of year. Christian Becerra was back on the mound for High-A Cedar Rapids after a stint on the 7-day injured list, while the broader minor league picture also brought a few encouraging signs across the organization, including another strong day from St. Pauls offense and some useful innings from pitchers trying to steady their seasons.
Kaelen Culpeppers addition to the Futures Game roster added a brighter note to the systems midseason outlook, giving Minnesota another prospect to track on a bigger stage. But the update also came with a setback elsewhere in the pipeline, a reminder that depth in the minors can change quickly even when one player is moving back into the mix and another is earning a spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Finally Have A Real Opening For Kendry Rojas
Kendry Rojas has given the Twins enough to dream on since arriving from Toronto, even if the picture is still blurry. The left-hander brings real velocity and a slider that can miss bats, but the command has not always matched the stuff, which is why Minnesota has been shuttling him through a hybrid mix of starting and relieving without settling on a firm lane.
Now the Twins have to decide whether the best path for Rojas is to keep stretching him out or narrow the job and let the arsenal play up in shorter bursts. Louis Varland has become the obvious reference point from the same trade, and that kind of bullpen conversion is at least on the table as Minnesota weighs what Rojas can be long term. [Read more 🡒]
Two Unexpected Twins Could Be In Real Deadline Danger
The Twins have spent much of the season in that uneasy middle ground where neither path is fully closed off. At 42-46, they are still close enough to the playoff race to justify staying patient, but not so far ahead that the front office can ignore the possibility of shifting directions if the next few weeks go sideways.
If Minnesota does end up leaning toward a sell-off, two unexpected names could surface in the conversation: Kody Clemens and Ryan Kreidler. Both have been useful this year and bring the kind of defensive flexibility teams like to target at the deadline, which makes them more than simple depth pieces even with years of control still attached. For a club trying to balance the present against its next wave of talent, that kind of value can become hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]