Yankees' Carlos Rodón shows good velocity but struggles with control in his season debut

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Carlos Rodon’s seven-month recovery from elbow surgery apparently didn’t do anything to hinder the New York Yankees left-hander’s velocity.

His ability to throw strikes remains a work in progress.

Rodón made his season debut Sunday and held the Milwaukee Brewers hitless for the first 3 2/3 innings while reaching a peak velocity of 97.7 mph. But he also walked five and hit a batter before leaving with one out in the fifth inning.

His fastball averaged 95.7 mph, up from 94.1 mph last year. Only 42 of the 78 pitches Rodón threw were strikes.

“Velo’s great, but when I’m not commanding the zone, it really doesn’t matter how hard I’m throwing – when you’re spraying it,” Rodón said after getting no decision in the Yankees’ 4-3 loss.

Rodón was pitching in the majors for the first time surgery Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur. His return got pushed back after he dealt with tightness in his left hamstring in late March.

That followed a 2025 season in which he went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA and earned his third career All-Star Game selection. He may need some time to regain that form.

Rodón walked the leadoff batter in each of the first two innings but otherwise looked impressive while striking out four over the first three frames.

“I thought overall his stuff was good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “His fastball ticked up, being up here. I thought he had a really good changeup and some good sliders to get some swing-and-miss.”

Boone called the high walk total the “bugaboo” for Rodón. That proved costly in the fourth inning.

Rodón, 33, started that inning by walking William Contreras and Gary Sanchez and hitting Andrew Vaughn with a pitch, loading the bases. Garrett Mitchell brought home a run with a sacrifice fly before Rodón allowed a two-run, two-out single to Blake Perkins, who is hitting just .122 this season.

He left the game with two men on and one out in the fifth.

“It was fun being back out there,” Rodón said. “Obviously would have liked to perform better.”

Rodón’s return came on the final day of a disappointing weekend for the Yankees, who were swept for just the second time all season. Milwaukee’s Brice Turang ended the game with a walk-off homer off David Bednar.

Although the Yankees lead the American League in scoring, they totaled just six runs this weekend as Ben Rice went 0 for 13 in his return from a bruised hand that caused him to miss four games, Spencer Jones was 1 for 9 with five strikeouts in his first three big league hames.

The good news for the Yankees is that Rodón’s arrival should boost a starting rotation that already was perhaps the best in the major leagues.

Yankees starting pitchers entered Sunday with a league-best 3.01 ERA in 40 games. Counting Sunday's game, Yankees starters have allowed three earned runs or fewer in 19 of their last 22 outings.

Cam Schlitter (5-1) owns an MLB-leading 1.35 ERA to top a rotation that also has featured Max Fried (4-2, 2.91), Will Warren (4-1, 3.46) and Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.03). The Yankees also have 2023 Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole working his way back from Tommy John surgery after missing the 2025 season.