WAPPINGERS FALLS – New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón finished up his rehabilitation with the Hudson Valley Renegades at Heritage Financial Park before a near-capacity crowd on Saturday night. Rodón, a two-time All-Star was signed to a six-year, $162 million contract in December but has not pitched a game this season due to a left forearm strain.
A crowd of 5,076 watched the Renegades beat Wilmington by a score of 8-2.
When New York Yankees Manager Aaron Boone announced yesterday that Rodón was going to pitch for the organization’s Minor League High-A Affiliate Hudson Valley Renegades, ticket sales for Saturday’s game immediately soared. Renegades Director of Public Relations and the radio voice of the Renegades, Joe Vasile said the Renegades announced the appearance on Friday night, and more than 1,000 tickets were purchased almost immediately.
Rodón took the mound against the Wilmington Blue Rocks and struck out eight batters in three and one-third innings. In 2022, the pitcher played for the San Fransisco Giants and had a 2.88 ERA.
He was slated to make around 60 pitches in preparation for his New York Yankees debut on July 7th. The Yankees spoke to Joe Vasile and Mid-Hudson News after his outing about his rehabilitation and upcoming start in the Bronx.
The 30-year-old father of three said he was pleased with his performance which included working on his slider and fastballs. He noted that he has not made any changes to his mechanics or delivery but declined to say if he has added any new pitches to his arsenal. When told about the boost in ticket sales attributed to him he said there was “a nice crowd in a good atmosphere”. Asked if he is physically ready to pitch in the big league next week, Rodon said “Today was good except for a few sporadic fastballs late in the game,” while he credited the batters of the Blue Rocks by saying “They’re a good fastball hitting team.” Fortunately Rodón was backed by strong defensive play from his teammates and said they play “all out”.
Rodón said the atmosphere in the clubhouse was fun. “They’re young kids – they’re enjoying baseball and you can tell,” adding that the team has “Not a worry in the world.”
The Hudson Valley Renegades still have plenty of baseball left. For more information on tickets and their schedule, click here.
The Hudson Valley Renegades/Mid-Hudson News postgame interview with Rodón (provided by Hudson Valley Renegades):
