Yankees' Carlos Rodon, Aaron Boone not bothered by pitcher's spring homers
Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon walks off the field after being taken out of the game in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Rays on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
TAMPA, Fla. — The first pitch Carlos Rodon threw on Wednesday was smacked over the right-centerfield fence by Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz.
The 60th and final pitch Rodon threw was smacked over the same fence by Richie Palacios for a two-run home run.
Overall, Rodon allowed three runs in three-plus inning in his second start of spring training and first since Feb. 25 (in which he also gave up a final-pitch home run).
In between, Rodon threw a live batting practice session to Yankees minor-leaguers in which he allowed four home runs.
But the $162 million lefthander said he didn’t have his normal fastball velocity and was working on his secondary pitches on Wednesday, including a brand-new cutter the Yankees hope he can add to his fastball/slider repertoire.
Rodon said he isn’t overly concerned about the results in what he called “a game that no one realty gives a [hoot] about because it doesn’t matter. It’s spring training. But the competing side of me, you don’t want to give up a home run on the front end, a home run on the back end. But there were some good pitches in between.”
Manager Aaron Boone agreed.
“He didn’t have great life on his fastball today,” Boone said after the Yankees’ 4-3 loss. “I thought, really, in between the first and last pitch, I thought he pitched really well. I thought he ‘pitched,’ which was good to see. I thought he did a good job with the cutter. I thought he landed some of his change and breaking balls for strikes. So that was good to see. So I thought a positive day overall.”
The Yankees are really trying to drum home to Rodon that he has to throw more than just his fastball and slider and that he needs to compete when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He’s already accomplished their offseason goal of coming to camp in better physical shape.
“I want to make sure that his focus is on the whole process in the five and six days of pitching,” Boone said. “He's laid an awesome foundation this winter and I've talked about that a lot. It's coming in in a better spot. Focus on going to the post every fifth or sixth day. I feel like if he does that and keeps doing the things physically to be ready to go, the results will be there because his stuff should be there. And we've seen it for the most part this spring and even in all his work leading up to spring.”
Rodon’s fastball was about 91-94 miles per hour on Wednesday, which is lower than the Yankees hope it will be during the season. Boone said he plans to give Rodon a whole week before his next outing in the hopes the rest will help put some more zip on his pitches.
Asked why the velo was down, Boone said: “I think probably just not having that extra gear. Probably the result of that and the time of spring.”
Rodon, who went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts in an injury-plagued 2023, said he is healthy and is working on getting his confidence back.
“I'm trying to build it back up,” he said. “To end on a homer doesn't really help. But, yeah, I'm trying to find that confidence again and that swagger, because that’s a part of me. That’s a part of who I am on the mound.”
Rodon sounded pretty confident already when asked if he expected to be effective this season assuming he’s healthy.
“I just need to stay on the mound,” he said. “That’s it. I’m good at this game.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
