Rodón rehab update: He can now button his shirt (It's great news)

Yankees starter Carlos Rodón said Saturday before he underwent left elbow surgery in October, his range of motion was so poor that he was unable to touch the top of his head or button his shirt with his moneymaking arm. That’s not a problem any longer.

A little more than three months out from the surgery, Rodón said he feels “great” and indicated that his rehab in Florida is going smoothly as he aims to rejoin the Yanks’ rotation during the early stages of the 2026 regular season.

“I’ve been throwing a lot lately,” Rodón told Foul Territory during Saturday’s New York Baseball Writers’ Gala. “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.”

Past operations -- specifically, his Tommy John surgery from 2019 -- prepared Rodón for what to expect during another elbow rehab program. But by comparison, Rodón said the road back from this most recent procedure has felt different.

“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.

“This one’s a little different. A little elbow scope, and I got back to throwing fairly quickly -- eight weeks. It doesn’t really feel like much of a rehab.”

Although he won't be ready for Opening Day, Rodón said he hopes he doesn’t miss too much time beyond that.

“Obviously," Rodón said, "I want to be prepared and ready to compete.”

The 33-year-old is coming off a season in which he threw a career-high 195 1/3 innings. He struck out 203 batters, limited hitters to a .195 average and finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting.