New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone outlined the team's starting rotation for the upcoming season, highlighting depth despite injuries to key pitchers Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón. Boone expressed confidence in the current group to carry the team through the early months. Cole and Rodón are recovering from surgeries but expected back relatively soon.
The New York Yankees are poised to boast one of Major League Baseball's strongest and deepest pitching rotations once their injured starters return to full health. However, that moment has not yet arrived, as ace Gerrit Cole continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery performed last March, while Carlos Rodón heals from the removal of bone chips in his left elbow in October. Additionally, Clarke Schmidt is slated to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season following his own Tommy John procedure last July.
Manager Aaron Boone emphasized a cautious approach to their comebacks during an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sunday. "We're talking about probably [Max] Fried, [Cam] Schlittler, [Will] Warren, [Ryan] Weathers and [Luis] Gil to start the season in the rotation," Boone said. He added that Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn provide capable depth to fill in as needed.
A return in May remains possible for Cole. Rodón recently shared a positive update on his progress and threw a bullpen session at the team's Spring Training facility in Tampa on Friday. Boone indicated that Rodón should not miss a significant portion of the regular season.
In the meantime, the Yankees plan to rely on their available starters to meet their objectives. "We feel like our depth is good, especially, hopefully, to get us through the early parts of the season," Boone noted, "and then be in a stronger position as the calendar unfolds into the summer months." This strategy underscores the team's belief in their pitching resources to sustain competitiveness early on.