Carlos Rodon Shines in Yankees Rehab Debut with Four Strikeouts
Carlos Rodon struck out four batters in his Yankees rehab debut on Saturday.
The Yankees southpaw tossed 48 pitches across 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four batters for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Rodon's outing was marked by an inauspicious start, as Seaver King took Rodon deep to lead off the game.
However, Rodon bounced back to get the next three batters out to end the first inning.
After a 1-2-3 second inning, Rodon ran into trouble in the third, allowing four batters to reach base and pushing across two more runs.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had said earlier in the week that the plan was for Rodon to throw around 50 pitches, which is why he was pulled after the third.
Rodon's performance is a positive sign for the Yankees as they look to get their veteran left-hander back to full strength.
The Yankees are considering using Rodon in a piggyback role, where he would start and then be followed by another pitcher.
This would allow the team to get the most out of Rodon's limited innings while also giving him the opportunity to build up his pitch count.
Rodon missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left elbow surgery and has already made nine starts this season, going 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.
The Yankees shut down Rodon and placed him on the IL on June 28 after he experienced inflammation in the same elbow.
Now, the team will wait and see how Rodon recovers from this rehab start before determining next steps for the veteran left-hander.
Source: Yahoo Sports