NEW YORK — The New York Yankees placed starting pitcher Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation, nearly two months into his return from off-season elbow surgery.
The Yankees made the move Friday, retroactive to Tuesday. On Sunday, Rodón allowed two runs and one hit in five innings in a 5-4, 10-inning loss at Boston. The 33-year-old left-hander's average velocity on his fastball, changeup, slider and sinker against the Red Sox were slightly down when he threw 55-of-96 pitches for strikes.
Putting Rodón on the injured list was one of four moves the Yankees made before opening a three-game series with Minnesota. New York is mired in a seven-game skid, its worst since losing nine straight in August 2023.
The Yankees also activated third baseman Ryan McMahon and centre fielder Trent Grisham from the IL, while optioning utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre
Rodón is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA in nine starts since returning from the IL on May 10. He struggled with command in his first three starts and is 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA in his last six outings.
Rodón had surgery Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur. He then had a setback in late March when he felt tightness in his right hamstring while throwing at the Yankees’ Florida complex.
He was 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA last season despite an ailing arm. His four-seam fastball velocity, which averaged 95.3 m.p.h. in his first season with the Yankees, was 94.4 m.p.h. in the first half last year and dropped to 93.8 m.p.h. in the second half.
Rodón is 97-74 with a 3.72 ERA in 12 major league seasons, including 41-28 since signing a $162-million, six-year contract with the Yankees in December 2023.
New York has yet to have Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Max Fried healthy at the same time. Cole missed last season following elbow reconstructive surgery and returned 10 days after Fried exited a start in Baltimore with a bone bruise in his left elbow.
Fried faced hitters for the first time Tuesday and is expected to do so again on Sunday.
Grisham returned after missing 18 games with a strained right hamstring sustained running to second in Toronto on June 12. He is hitting .232 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 66 games. He hit safely in 10 straight games before getting hurt.
McMahon was activated after missing 11 games with a throat infection. In his first full season with the Yankees after being acquired from Colorado in July, McMahon is hitting .210 with eight homers and 23 RBIs.
Cabrera went hitless in nine at-bats in his return to the Yankees after fracturing his left ankle on a slide at home in Seattle in May 2025.
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