Carlos Rodon Hits IL With Elbow Inflammation and the Yankees Just Held Their Breath

The New York Yankees have been winning games and, for the most part, staying out of the training room. That run of relative good health just hit a wall.

Carlos Rodon was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with elbow inflammation. The left-hander will now miss at least two weeks, and the Yankees are left hoping this is nothing more than a short-term issue.

What we know about the injury

The team called it elbow inflammation, which is vague enough to make anyone nervous. Rodon has an extensive injury history — shoulder problems, forearm issues, you name it — so any elbow-related news is going to get attention inside and outside the clubhouse.

He last pitched on Saturday against the White Sox, allowing three runs over five innings. Nothing in that start looked alarming, but apparently something came up afterward. The Yankees did not specify whether this is something that has been lingering or if it cropped up suddenly.

Rodon himself said earlier this season that he felt healthy for the first time in a while. So this timing is less than ideal.

How this affects the rotation

The Yankees have gotten solid production from their starters this season. Gerrit Cole is still Gerrit Cole. Nestor Cortes has been effective. Clarke Schmidt has been a pleasant surprise. But losing Rodon for any stretch creates a rotation crunch.

New York will likely call up someone from Triple-A to fill the spot, but names haven’t been confirmed yet. The team has some depth, but none of it has Rodon’s upside when he’s right. (When he’s right. That’s the key phrase.)

Rodon is in the second year of a six-year, $162 million deal. The Yankees need him to be a frontline starter, not a guy who spends half the season on the IL. So far, it’s been a mixed bag.

What happens next

He’ll rest, get treatment, and be re-evaluated in a couple weeks. The team has not said whether an MRI revealed anything structural, which is usually a good sign — no news on that front might mean no bad news.

But elbow inflammation is one of those things that can linger or escalate. The Yankees have to be careful here. Pushing it could turn a 15-day IL stint into something much longer.

The rotation will get tested. The bullpen will get stretched. And the Yankees will wait.