Rodon headed to IL in latest hit to Yanks rotation
-
Marly RiveraESPN Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — Carlos Rodon, the Yankees‘ $162 million winter signing, will start the 2023 season on the injured list because of a left forearm muscle strain in what is yet another blow to New York’s starting rotation.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Rodon underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a mild strain of the left brachioradialis, a superficial forearm muscle — a similar injury to one he suffered last year while with the Giants.
“The finding was something, but not significant or serious,” Cashman said Thursday. “Obviously, trying to pitch through stuff is not a good thing, especially this time of year. If this was in-season — pennant race, late in the game — he’s still probably up and running. He had this last May with the Giants, and he didn’t miss any time with it.”
Cashman said that Rodon will have a no-throw period of seven to 10 days that will “push him back into April, time to be determined,” and that all imaging showed the left-hander’s ulnar collateral ligament was intact. Rodon underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.
“You just have to prevent looking at the calendar and force-feeding it and speeding the process up because you feel the outside pressure of it’s a new organization, fan base, stuff like that,” Cashman said. “[Rodon] understands that. He’s a pro. But like anything else, it’s the human nature of, ‘I want to get out there and pitch.’
“When I was dealing with him, he’s like, ‘I dealt with this in May, and it didn’t stop me.’ But it’s not May, it’s March, and we don’t want to play this into something different.”
Rodon said he felt optimistic about the injury, particularly because of it cropping up during the spring, specifying that he would pitch through it had it happened at a crucial point in season.
“[Last year] it popped up early in May, the first time I ever felt it in my forearm, the top of my forearm,” Rodon said. “Worked with some people, did some treatments, luckily. I woke up, it was my fifth day getting ready to pitch … and I felt nothing.
“Arms can be so finicky, so you never know what route it’s going to take. In May I felt fine. I didn’t miss a start. It’s just kind of early to throw through things right now. … Like, if it’s Oct. 5 or it’s the ALDS, I’m taking the ball and going to pitch.”
In terms of a possible timeline for return, Rodon said he “hoped it would go fairly quickly.”
“But as you know, some of these things take time,” he added. “I’m hoping it goes by quick, but you know how injuries go — you never know what happens down the road.”
Rodon struggled with his velocity Sunday during his spring debut against the Atlanta Braves, allowing five runs on six hits — two of them home runs. Cashman said that being around “91-94 mph” was not something unusual for Rodon in his first outing, but that the Yankees did not see any red flags then.
“But now when you package it all together and the recovery wasn’t there and now the image shows a mild strain, it all adds up to maybe that’s why that day didn’t go as well,” Cashman said.
It had been an uneventful spring for the Yankees until Thursday afternoon, when Cashman not only announced that his prized left-hander would start the season on the IL, but also revealed that relievers Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle would join Rodon on the injured list.
Kahnle’s announcement was not unexpected, given that he had been dealing with biceps tendinitis. The right-hander is currently scheduled to resume his throwing program sometime next week and be back at some point in April.
The news was more concerning on Trivino, who was diagnosed with “a mild elbow ligament sprain,” an injury that Cashman said will keep the right-hander out until at least May.
The Yankees’ short-handed rotation was already missing last year’s trade deadline acquisition, Frankie Montas.
Montas joined the Yankees while dealing with a shoulder issue that never resolved itself, eventually leading to surgery Feb. 21. Montas will likely miss most of the 2023 season.
Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt had already been vying for a fifth spot in a rotation rounded out by Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes, and are the front-runners to slot in for Rodon. Cashman also mentioned one-time prized prospect Deivi Garcia as one of those pitchers who could make a name for himself this spring and fight for a spot.
“We’re going to find out,” Cashman said of the Yankees’ rotation depth. “I feel good about what we’re seeing from the guys down here so far, and especially the pitchers trying to vie for the back end.
“Ultimately, outside of Montas, we haven’t lost anybody for significant time yet. But clearly it’s not a good situation when you’re down a starter that you were counting on. But at the same time, it’s March and it gives us time to allow it to heal and recover.”
In other injury news, Harrison Bader, who was supposed to be the starting center fielder in Thursday afternoon’s game against the Red Sox, an eventual 11-7 win for Boston, went for testing because of discomfort in his left oblique.
Manager Aaron Boone said that Bader “kind of swung and felt something in there,” in reference to the center fielder’s fifth-inning strikeout against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, on Wednesday.
The Yankees are waiting on Bader’s imaging results before determining next steps. Boone said that reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge would be an option in centerfield for the Yankees should Bader miss time, as well as embattled outfielder Aaron Hicks, former prospect Estevan Florial and spring invitee Rafael Ortega.
EDMONTON, Alberta — Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffered a lower-body injury and did not return in the third period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Goalie Stuart Skinner also was hurt when he was involved in a late-game collision and removed due to concussion protocols. Calvin Pickard stopped three shots in Skinner’s place.
Speaking after the game, coach Kris Knoblauch said there was no update on the statuses of either McDavid or Skinner.
McDavid appeared to get hurt while attempting to chase down the puck in the Jets’ zone when he was bumped by Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey.
In the second period, McDavid assisted on Jeff Skinner‘s goal to extend his point streak to 13 games. McDavid has combined for four goals and 15 assists in the span.
McDavid’s injury came at the same time the Oilers held out NHL leading scorer Leon Draisaitl for precautionary reasons after the forward was hurt in a 7-1 win over Utah on Tuesday. Knoblauch said Draisaitl is day-to-day.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin is one step closer to NHL history after the “Great 8” reached a fitting number in his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record.
Ovechkin scored his 888th goal Thursday night in a 3-2 victory by the Washington Capitals over Philadelphia that helped them clinch a playoff berth, moving seven back of passing Gretzky’s mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable.
“Again a big goal at a big time,” goaltender Charlie Lindgren said. “Credit to Ovi: another big goal and another goal off the mark.”
With just over five minutes left in the first period, the puck hit linemate Aliaksei Protas in front and he passed it to Ovechkin. The 39-year-old beat Samuel Ersson for his 35th goal of the season, which is tied for fourth most in the league.
“It was a great play,” Ovechkin said. “Take it and move on.”
Confetti flew and Big Joe Turner’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll” blared from speakers as mascot Slapshot flipped the goal counter in a corner of the arena from 887 to 888. Fans chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” as play resumed.
“Every time he scores, the crowd gets 10 times more involved and it just kind of blows up, and whatever happens after, they’re still always cheering,” winger Andrew Mangiapane said. “It’s a great atmosphere every time he gets a goal for us.”
Mangiapane, who wears jersey No. 88, saw the triple 8s and manifested he might get one, too. Midway through the second period, he scored.
“There was lots of 8s out there,” Ovechkin said.
Ovechkin at his current pace has a chance to to break Gretzky’s record before the end of the regular season.
“It seemed like the last two years no one really expected it to happen this quick,” Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. “It’s definitely special. I’m sure when we’re done playing we can say we played against the greatest goal scorer of all time. … Happy for him. It’s fun to see him get closer.”
The Capitals have 13 games left in the regular season before the playoffs. Ovechkin has one year left on his current contract in case he does not reach the mark this season.
His teammates are hoping he gets to 895 with time to spare.
“We’d love to see him get it done,” Lindgren said. “He’s generating a ton of scoring chances every single game. He could’ve had a couple tonight. Obviously, I don’t know exactly what he’s feeling, I don’t know how much pressure he’s feeling, but, boy, I’ll tell you, seeing him and being with him every day you look at him, you wouldn’t know that he’s feeling any sort of pressure at all.
“He’s still going out and producing and scoring goals for us and being one heck of a captain.”
Coach Spencer Carbery believes there are many positives for the Capitals with Ovechkin on this mission.
“Our guys feed off it on the bench – they’re pulling for him,” Carbery said. “I think it energizes them to play at a higher level. … There’s no question as a coach I feel like this chase and the energy around it hasn’t been a distraction or a hindrance to our group. It’s been a massive benefit.”
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports12 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway