Rodón feels good but doesn't need to rush back; Yankees have sufficient pitching depth to handle it.

Today, as Max Fried made his final tune-up before the opening game in the Yankees' 4-6 loss to the Phillies, thousands of fans poured into Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training stadium, to watch. At the same time, another group of fans gathered on the bleachers on the other side of the training complex, just to catch a glimpse of last year's Opening Day starter.

Carlos Rodón faced live hitters for the second time in less than a week, pitching two innings in a simulated game against teammates Randal Grichuk, Ali Sánchez, and Duke Ellis. The left-hander threw 30 pitches, building on the 20 he threw on Tuesday, marking his second time facing live hitters since his left elbow surgery last October.

“I feel like I could throw more, but obviously that’s not the plan right now,” Rodón said after his latest pitching session. “The body feels good, I’m pleased. Just need more work.”

Taking the mound again just five days after his first live batting practice, Rodón is now essentially back into a normal adjustment rhythm.

“Very pleased with his status. He’s actually not far behind,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s responding well to all the work, we’re not rushing anything. He’s moving in the right direction.”

Even so, the Yankees are not rushing him back. Similarly, the team won’t force the pace for rehabbing starters Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt either.

After all, they believe there’s no urgency at the moment.

“If you add Rodón and Cole, plus the emerging young pitchers,” Boone said, “we have 10 to 12 pitchers, and I’m confident any one of them could start a major league game and give us a chance to win.”

This group clearly includes the five starters projected for the Opening Day rotation: Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers. That means Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough will move to the bullpen. Blackburn has a 1.46 ERA over 12.1 innings this spring, while Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA in eight starts last season.

“We feel good about those pitchers heading into the rotation,” Boone said, “but I also really like Yarbrough. And I think Blackburn has pitched very well.”

And it’s not just that; the team also has three rookies, Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez, and Ben Hess, waiting to join the ranks.

The team’s No. 2 prospect Lagrange has a fastball that tops 103.1 mph and a 0.93 ERA over 9.2 innings. No. 3 prospect Rodríguez quickly impressed Boone. No. 5 prospect Hess dazzled with two elite changeups.

“And the three we often mention from the minors, Lagrange, Rodríguez, and Hess, are emerging,” Boone said. “We have confidence in them too.”

Adding all this up—five projected Opening Day rotation starters, two pitchers moving to the bullpen, three starters beginning the season on the injury list, plus three top prospects—Boone can easily list 13 pitchers.

“Of course, hopefully we won’t need to use all that depth,” Boone said, “but it shows the depth is real.”

The reality is, the Yankees, like most other teams, will likely need to use most or even all of that depth.

Considering New York plans to gradually bring back Rodón, Cole, and Schmidt once healthy, the team will use at least eight starters in the 2026 season. This would mean the Yankees using at least eight starters for the 32nd consecutive season. The last time they used fewer than eight was in 1994, when they used seven.

With the depth described above, the Yankees believe their ability to handle this situation is far better than in previous seasons, at least on paper.

“It provides comfort, but that’s all,” Boone said. “We still need to make it happen.”

As for the notion that contending for a World Series requires a rotation to stay healthy all season, consider this stat: Over the past decade, only one World Series champion, the 2022 Astros, used fewer than ten starting pitchers on their championship run.

So, while the ideal scenario is a healthy rotation all season, the key isn’t really that. What’s more important is having the right people healthy at the most critical moments of the year.

Until then, the Yankees believe they are managing well.

“Weathers is a dynamic lefty with great stuff, Warren, Schlittler, and Gil are also experienced, talented arms,” Rodón said. “And of course, Fried is the anchor, he’s elite. So we’re in a good spot.”