The New York Yankees are down another starting pitcher. Lefty Carlos Rodón has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, the team announced Monday. Rodon exited Sunday's game in the third inning after throwing a pitch and grabbing at his leg. He went for an MRI on Monday and the Yankees have not yet provided a timetable for his return.
"I just felt it grab for a second. It felt like a cramp," Rodón told MLB.com after Sunday's game. "Honestly, after that it felt fine. It was kind of more a precautionary thing. In this moment, I feel normal. It's one of those things that we'll have to see what tomorrow holds."
Rodón's first season with the Yankees has been nothing short of disastrous. He suffered a forearm injury in spring training and then developed a back issue in April, which kept him out until early July. And, when he did finally pitch for the Yankees, Rodón allowed 22 runs and eight home runs in six starts and 27 innings. Now he's back on the injured list.
The injury comes at a time when the Yankees are running short on reliable starting pitchers. New York's rotation depth chart currently looks something like this:
- RHP Gerrit Cole (amazing)
LHP Carlos Rodón(out with hamstring injury)- RHP Nestor Cortes (returned Saturday after missing more than two months with a shoulder issue)
- RHP Luis Severino (7.74 ERA in 13 starts)
- RHP Clarke Schmidt (already set a new career high in innings)
RHP Frankie Montas(rehabbing from shoulder surgery)RHP Domingo Germán(will not pitch again in 2013 while receiving treatment for alcohol abuse)- RHP Jhony Brito (5.02 ERA in 12 starts and two relief appearances)
- RHP Randy Vásquez (has pitched well in three spot starts)
The Yankees were considering pulling Severino, who's given up 14 runs in 7 1/3 innings in his last two starts, from the rotation later this week, though Rodón's injury likely keeps him starting games for at least another two weeks. Upcoming off-days mean the Yankees do not need a No. 5 starter until Aug. 15, and not again until Aug. 26.
In other roster news, the Yankees called up lefty Nick Ramirez and activated setup man Jonathan Loáisiga from the injured list Monday. Loaisiga made only three appearances in April before needing surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow. Righty Deivi García, once the team's top pitching prospect, was designated for assignment. He has a 6.59 ERA in Triple-A the last three years.
New York enters play Monday with a 58-54 record. They are 4.5 games out of a postseason spot are in jeopardy of missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. They begin a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night.
