On verge of 1st rehab start, Yankees ace now dealing with new injury

SEATTLE — Carlos Rodon and the Yankees have been calling his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery smooth sailing, even though the All-Star left-hander has only been throwing bullpens and live bullpens for weeks. And now, a first rehab start finally scheduled for later this week with Double-A Somerset may now be delayed due to a new injury — right hamstring tightness. “I don’t know if it’s going to slow him at all, but it could be something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday night’s game in Seattle.

“We’ll see what we have there. ” Rodon first felt the hamstring tightness on Monday, “when he was doing his running,” Boone said, but he did go through with his Tuesday throwing program, which probably is an indication that the Yankees aren’t overly concerned. “We’ll see if (his rehab start) is delayed at all,” Boone added.

“I don’t think it’s that big a deal. Hopefully it’s not. ” An 18-game winner and All-Star last season, Rodon had surgery last October to remove a bone spur and loose bodies from his pitching elbow.

Initially, there was hope that Rodon could be back in April, then May seemed more likely when he didn’t get into any spring training starts. Rodon’s elbow was fine, but it was taking time for him to adjust to pitching from a new arm angle that now has a lot more flexibility than it did in 2025. Depending on his hamstring, a May return may not still be possible.