The Yankees figure to have one of MLB’s best and deepest rotations once everyone is healthy.
That day is not today; Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón remain on the comeback trail from surgery. The former underwent Tommy John surgery last March, and the latter had bone chips removed from his left elbow in October. Clarke Schmidt will also miss most, if not all, of 2026 after undergoing TJ surgery last July.
The Yanks can’t wait to get those first two frontline pitchers back in the fold soon, but there will be no rush, according to manager Aaron Boone. The club’s rotation is in a pretty good spot as is.
“We're talking about probably [Max] Fried, [Cam] Schlittler, [Will] Warren, [Ryan] Weathers and [Luis] Gil to start the season in the rotation,” Boone said Sunday on MLB Network Radio. “And you always have [Ryan] Yarbrough and [Paul] Blackburn there that can fill that role very capably.”
A return in May is in play for Cole. Rodón, who gave a positive update on his recovery a couple of weeks ago, threw a bullpen session at the team’s Spring Training complex in Tampa on Friday, and Boone said he doesn’t expect him to miss too much of the regular season.
While the Yankees wait on those two hurlers, they will lean on the starters they do have available. And they feel like they have enough to accomplish their goals.
“We feel like our depth is good, especially, hopefully, to get us through the early parts of the season,” Boone said, “and then be in a stronger position as the calendar unfolds into the summer months.”