Yankees to Start Carlos Rodon on Sunday in Season Debut

The left-handed pitcher underwent shoulder surgery in October and has completed a rehabilitation program that included three starts since late April. Rodón said he is looking forward to his return after the procedure.

"You never want to go under the knife," he said before the Yankees hosted the Rangers in a series finale on Thursday. " The pitcher, who also had Tommy John surgery in 2019, reported that his range of motion has improved since the October operation. He posted a 3.38 ERA across 16 innings in his three rehabilitation appearances.

His final tune-up on Tuesday for Triple-A SWB resulted in six earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. Manager Aaron Boone said the primary focus during Rodón’s recovery has been regaining command. "I think the biggest challenge for him now has been getting that command back over the last couple of months," Boone said on Thursday morning.

"Because he is freer, better range of motion, those kind of things. " Boone did not disclose the pitch count planned for Rodón’s outing.

Rodón said he found it enjoyable to watch his teammates pitch while he recovered. "It was fun from the outside looking in, watching [his fellow pitchers]," Rodón said.