BALTIMORE – The most stressful situation of Carlos Rodón’s return to the Yankees rotation came in the second inning on Tuesday, followed by what manager Aaron Boone would opine might have been the team’s best challenge of the season.
With the bases loaded, Rodón froze Jackson Holliday looking at a pitch that nicked the top of the zone, flipped into a strikeout by a successful head tap by catcher Austin Wells.
Trent Grisham homered and drove in all three runs in a 3-1 Yankees victory, but the outcome could’ve been vastly different if not for Wells’ challenge.
“I was pretty confident,” Wells said. “It’s big time. ABS allows us to change the game both ways. So luckily we have it, and I was able to convert it there.”
It had already been an eventful inning for Rodón, making his first start on a big league mound since June 28 as he returned from left elbow inflammation.
Christian Franklin’s grounder screamed inning-ending double play, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn’t get a clean look, unintentionally screened by second-base umpire Ryan Additon.
Instead, Rodón was staring at the bases loaded and one out. The veteran lefty wriggled free, first striking out Carlos Narváez, then pumping a 96 mph four-seamer past Holliday for the pitch that Wells flipped into a strike.
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“Bases loaded there, Jackson Holliday, we’re already down a challenge,” Boone said. “It could be a completely different night if he doesn’t challenge that. It was a big-time challenge.”
Rodón said he was confident the pitch was a strike, but he was surprised how close it was.
“It ended up barely clipping,” Rodón said. “It was a great challenge.”
Wells’ call was notable because the Yankees had what Boone described as “a couple of not great” challenges at the plate throughout Tuesday’s game – by Heliot Ramos in the first inning and Spencer Jones in the fourth.
“Probably not the best for us tonight,” Boone said, “but we might have had the best challenge of the season by Wells, if you think about it.”
Though Coby Mayo cracked a game-tying homer in the third inning, it was a successful return for Rodón, who completed four innings.
Rodón permitted two hits, walking two and striking out four. He tossed 66 pitches (39 for strikes), and he said he’d like to fill up the zone more next time out. His fastball was clocked as high as 96 mph, averaging 94.6 mph.
“I thought his stuff was good,” Boone said. “He had swing and miss going, and I thought he flashed some really good sliders. I thought the fastball was there; it had life and carry to it.”
When Max Fried complained of a recurring bone bruise in his left elbow, the Yankees accelerated their plans to promote Rodón, who had most recently tossed 58 pitches in a Minor League rehab start for Double-A Somerset.
“A couple of days ago, we were trying to figure out what we were going to do going into this next start,” Rodón said. “We were on the fence of going back to make another rehab start, just to get the pitch count up. But there was a need, and I’m glad I was available.”
Pitching in this setting and returning to the mound for the fourth inning also allowed Rodón an opportunity to see rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. in action.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand chopped a grounder to Lombard’s right that he backhanded, then threw across his body to nab the runner.
Rodón pointed to Lombard and showed his appreciation with a selection of words that he’d later claim not to remember, but which could be easily read upon replay.
“I was just impressed,” Rodón said. “I was just a fan in the moment. It was fun to watch.”