NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Carlos Rod贸n remembered back to last year.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really bend my arm. I couldn鈥檛 button a shirt,鈥� the left-hander said. 鈥滻 couldn’t scratch my face. I couldn’t take a drink of water. … I could definitely never comb my hair.”
Seven months after , the 33-year-old is set to return to a major league mound Sunday at the Milwaukee Brewers. While he feels a lot better, it’s not like when he reached the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox a decade ago.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 almost a virgin arm then,鈥� he quipped.
Rod贸n is 93-72 with a 3.73 ERA in 11 major league seasons, including 37-26 since signing a in December 2023.
He was 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA last season despite an ailing arm. His four-seam fastball velocity, which averaged 95.3 mph in his first season with the Yankees, was 94.4 mph in the first half last year and dropped to 93.8 mph in the second half.
鈥淗e was great last year. So, just had to do it a different way. He didn鈥檛 have the range of motion,鈥� Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 鈥淏ut I think if you talk to major league pitchers, especially ones that have done it for a while, you鈥檙e kind of always dealing with different stuff. So credit to him for being able to navigate it last year and with excellence.鈥�
Rod贸n’s fastball velocity dropped to 93.4 mph in his Division Series start against Toronto, when he allowed six runs and lasted just 2 1/3 innings.
鈥淭hey were mending to him every day to get him to post,鈥� pitching coach Matt Blake said.
Rod贸n said his elbow deterioration occurred over three-to-four years. He was willing to tolerate the pain to get through last season.
鈥淒id it hurt? Sometimes sure, pitching, but I鈥檇 rather go out there and compete,” he said. 鈥淚 was throwing well, so I couldn’t just say, ‘Oh, I can’t pitch,’ but it was manageable.鈥�
Rod贸n had surgery Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur, then had a setback in late March when he felt while throwing at the Yankees鈥� Florida complex.
As part of his rehabilitation, he had a pair of platelet-rich plasma injections.
鈥淭he first one was early. I really remember it because it was vivid because my arm felt like it got ran over by a bus,鈥� he said.
He reported to spring training in the mid-to-upper 250-pound range, about 10 pounds above his target, but figured the weight would come off as he readied for his return.
鈥淚 guess a happy offseason,” he said with a laugh. “I enjoy food.鈥�
Rod贸n made three starts during a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment that and had a 3.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts while allowing three walks and three homers in 16 innings.
He and will have a limit of about the same against the Brewers.
鈥淣ot as daunting as Tommy John鈥檚 surgery,鈥� said Rod贸n, who had his UCL repaired in 2019. 鈥淵ou never want to go under the knife, for sure, but it鈥檚 good to be at the end of the road.鈥�
Blake notices the difference in Rod贸n’s mechanics.
鈥淵ou can see there鈥檚 just a little more freedom of motion in the arm action,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t looks a little easier. It鈥檚 not as much body creating the power.鈥�
But with that added motion, Rod贸n has to work to regain command.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy with the recovery,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o just keep going.鈥�
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