Yanks' rotation: Early injuries slowing their 'start'

The Yankees thought signing Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million free-agent contract in the offseason would give them an elite one-two punch in what they believed would be one of the most dynamic rotations in the American League, if not all of baseball.

What they have to start the season is a mess.

Rodon, a lefthander who was 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 31 starts for the Giants in 2022, will begin the year on the disabled list with what the Yankees called a “mild” forearm strain. And toward the end of camp came the news that Luis Severino, who has had an extensive injury history since 2018, had suffered a “mild” lat strain.

The initial prognosis called for Rodon, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and who experienced something similar to this forearm injury last May, to return at “some point in April.” Indications since the injury was announced in early March suggest he shouldn’t miss more than the first four to six weeks of the season. Severino expects to miss at least three or four starts, and that’s assuming the lat heals perfectly, never a safe assumption.

So to start the season, something that was a major concern going into spring training — organizational starting pitching depth — will be tested. Despite what they say publicly, the Yankees are not awash in organizational depth when it comes to starters.

As things stand, Gerrit Cole will be followed in some order by Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes, Domingo German and perhaps an unproven arm such as Jhony Brito. Bringing in a starting pitcher from the outside shouldn’t be ruled out, though this isn’t the time of year when major deals get done. The injury to Rodon essentially put Schmidt, a contributor last season as a swingman in separate big-league stints, in the rotation. That could prove fortuitous for the Yankees; multiple rival scouts assigned to the club independently mentioned Schmidt — who spent February and March refining a cutter that opposing hitters struggled to make consistent contact with throughout spring training — as a pitcher who stood out to them the most. It was one of the few positive aspects of camp for the group.

GRADE: C+