Carlos Rodon nails Willie Calhoun in live batting practice session
Carlos Rodon of the Yankees looks on during the eighth inning against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 24. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Carlos Rodon’s fastball looked so crisp on Sunday during a live batting practice session at Yankee Stadium that the Yankees were starting to get excited.
That excitement turned to fear when Rodon drilled teammate Willie Calhoun on the left arm. Calhoun hopped around in pain and immediately headed into the Yankees' clubhouse.
Fortunately for the Yankees, Calhoun’s pain was only temporary. He remained in the lineup as the leadoff hitter as the Yankees hosted the Red Sox on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
In 2021, Calhoun suffered a left forearm fracture when he was hit by a pitch while playing for Texas. He feared a replay when the fastball from Rodon made his arm go numb for about two minutes.
“I kind of had the same feeling when I broke my arm,” Calhoun said. “So I was like, ‘Not again.’ But everything’s good. I’m 100%.”
Actually, Calhoun said he had some swelling in the biceps area. But he wasn’t about to allow himself to be taken out of the lineup.
“I got in the training room and everything calmed down,” he said. “I'm good.”
Rodon also was good on the mound, according to Calhoun, despite the one that got away.
“He was throwing hard,” Calhoun said. “I don’t know how hard he was throwing, but the ball was coming out of his hand good.”
Rodon has not thrown a pitch for the Yankees this season since signing a six-year, $162 million free-agent contract in the offseason. The lefthander suffered a forearm strain in spring training and then a back injury that slowed his rehab.
On Sunday, Rodon threw 29 pitches to Calhoun and Harrison Bader.
“I thought he looked really good,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Probably stuff-wise was as good as I've seen going back to spring. It seemed like he was like 93 to 96 [mph], but it just had that gear to it and without him reaching for it. So all in all, another good day.”
Boone said Rodon will throw another live batting practice session on Thursday before heading out to make his first minor-league rehab start. Rodon said he wasn’t looking past this one session.
“I’d just like to talk about today,” he said. “Today was good. Other than throwing one up and in on someone. The fastball was good. Threw some good breaking balls.”
The first thing Rodon did when he finished was go into the training room and check on Calhoun.
“Not what we’re looking for when you’re facing your own team,” Rodon said. “Just a fastball that ran in. I’m glad he’s OK.”
Calhoun has carved out a spot for himself in the Yankees’ injury-plagued lineup. With Bader and Aaron Judge on the injured list, the starting outfield against Boston righthander Brayan Bello on Sunday night was (from left to right) Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney and Calhoun.
Calhoun went into the game batting .246 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. He hit a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning on Saturday in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over Boston and is batting .310 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last 13 games.
Bauers went into the game batting .231 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. McKinney was 4-for-13 with a double and triple in four games since Judge went on the IL.
“They've all really contributed,” Boone said. “Billy just got here . . . Obviously, Jake and Willie have done a really nice job for us. Those guys have absolutely taken advantage of opportunities and been instrumental in helping us win some games. Credit to them for earning those opportunities, but then also taking advantage of them.”
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.
