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(Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees will get reinforcements to their starting rotation throughout the 2026 MLB season. Nonetheless, to start the new campaign, the healthy pitchers will need to hold down the fort.
Carlos Rodón is expected to start on the injured list, with a return around April or May, while Gerrit Cole is projected to come back in late May or early June following his 2025 Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Clarke Schmidt, also recovering from Tommy John, could return in the second half of the season.
With spring training nearing, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared an update on his starting rotation as New York will look to get off on the right foot in what will be a challenging AL East.
“I don’t think Carlos is going to be very long,” Boone said in a video posted on Feb. 8 on MLB Network Radio. “We’re in Tampa now. I watched him throw his bullpen two days ago, so he’s already well into his mountain progression. We’re not going to rush him back.
“Obviously, we want to make sure he’s built up properly, but I don’t expect it to be too long. Gerrit’s been doing great, but again, not something where we’re going to certainly rush him. But yeah, I do feel good about it. We’re talking about probably [Max] Fried, [Cam] Schlittler, [Will] Warren, [Ryan] Weathers, and [Luis] Gil to start the season in the rotation.”
New York Have More Depth to Account for Any Injuries
Moreover, Boone shared other potential pitchers that could make starts should any issues arise in spring training or throughout the 2026 season. The team will hope that this depth is what helps them win the AL East and have a deep run in October.
“You always have [Ryan] Yarbrough and [Paul] Blackburn there that can fill that role very capably too,” Boone added. “We feel like our depth is good, and especially hopefully to get us through the early parts of the season and then be in a stronger position as the calendar unfolds into the summer months.”
Yankees Have Squad to Contend for World Series in 2026
With the Yankees eventually getting key starting pitchers back and running it back with most of their starting lineup intact, MLB Network Radio’s Jeff Joyce believes that Boone still has a championship-contending team.
“I know that everyone’s down on the Yankees, but going into this season, if [Gerrit] Cole and [Carlos] Rodón come back healthy, they’ve probably got the best rotation they’ve had in a while, as far as postseason potential,” Joyce said in a video posted by MLB Network Radio on Jan. 31.
“Lineup-wise, they feel like they’ve got more pieces around [Aaron] Judge than they’ve had in a while, even though it still feels a little bit short going down. So I will still call them a contending team, a championship-caliber team.
“I’d like to see one bat added, because the left side of the infield doesn’t excite me. But I do feel like the last couple of years have at least been better, and given them a better opportunity than they were doing more in the earlier 2020s, 2021 through 2023.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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