Yankees’ Carlos Rodon won’t be ready by Opening Day, but at least he can button shirt now

One of the worst parts of getting surgery is the rehabilitation process. There are a lot of stories of athletes struggling in rehab due to their suddenly limited movement capabilities. It takes a mental and physical toll on players. New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon experienced a similar issue after undergoing elbow surgery last October.

Rodon told Foul Territory this Saturday about his experience in rehab. According to the Yankees pitcher, the range of motion of his elbow after his surgery was so bad that he couldn’t even button his shirt. Just under four months after the operation, though, Rodon happily reports that he’s able to do that now. That being said, Rodon also said that he’s likely not going to play on Opening Day.

“I’ve been throwing a lot lately,” Rodón said, per Brian Murphy. “Just trying to, I guess, lube up this elbow joint and get it going for the season. [The surgeons] took a lot of bones out, but it’s better now.”

Rodon also talked about how grueling the rehab process was, especially on the mental and emotional side.

“Tommy John can be definitely a lonely place because it’s such a long and monotonous rehab,” he said. “You’re watching your boys play, and it’s 16 months, and you’re watching a whole season of baseball as a fan, doing whatever it is — flexor extension stuff or strengthening and all sorts of shoulder stuff, stability, and you’re just watching baseball. It can be a lonely journey.”

Rodon was one of the biggest bright spots for the Yankees last season. The star pitcher finally had the year that the team was hoping to get from him after signing a megadeal in 2022. Rodon recorded a 3.09 ERA in 195.1 innings pitched, going 18-9 in his starts. The star pitcher also had a team-high 203 strikeouts and received Cy Young votes, but lost to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

The Yankees are hoping to get Rodon and another star pitcher back for the 2026 season. Gerrit Cole missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery the year prior. While Cole will return much later, the Yankees hope to see both of their best pitchers in form as they once again make a run at the World Series.

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