Carlos Rodon will start for the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday against either the Baltimore Orioles or the Kansas City Royals, as was predicted. In a video conference with media, pitching coach Matt Blake stated that their starting pitcher for Game 3 is still up in the air.
Game 3 is set for Wednesday of next week, and the players selected are Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. Blake stated that the team may select one of the two pitchers before to the series beginning on Saturday, but that a decision would “probably” be made during Game 1 to allow the Yankees to deploy either pitcher out of the bullpen.
“Just seeing how many of the pen guys we use, what that looks like,” Blake stated. “If we go to extras or something, just having some flexibility for that game.”
During the Yankees’ 94-win regular season, Gil was a revelation. He was only added to the roster when Gerrit Cole was sidelined due to an elbow injury, and he never gave up his rotation slot despite being optioned to the minors during spring training.
After pitching four innings at Single-A in 2023 following Tommy John surgery, the 26-year-old right-hander concluded the season 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 151⅔ innings over 29 starts, vaulting himself to the top of the AL Rookie of the Year contender list. This season, Schmidt fared better while healthy, with a 2.85 ERA in 85.1 innings across 16 starts, excluding a three-month absence due to a strained lat muscle.
However, Schmidt has a lot of experience as a reliever, unlike Gil. The right-hander has made 30 appearances in relief throughout his career, 26 of which came in 2022 when he tossed 57⅔ innings with a 3.12 ERA. Gil has led the majors in walks this season and has never thrown out of the bullpen as a major leaguer, which may further discourage the Yankees from employing him as a reliever for his playoff debut.
“Definitely a concern, something we haven’t done with him up to this point,” Blake stated. There is undoubtedly some mystery surrounding it, which adds to the discussion of why we could cast him and Clarke in different roles. Since Clarke has done it before, it goes without saying that there are some unanswered questions about how Luis might seem.
If a Game 4 is required, Cole, who started the first game, would begin it on a regular rest day. Rodon would then be on normal rest and eligible for Game 5.
In 2023, Rodon had a horrible, injury-plagued rookie season in New York before enjoying a successful resurgence. The left-hander moved up from a tight fastball-slider mix to better utilize his curveball and changeup in his repertoire this season after posting a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts and frequently drawing jeers from the crowd last season. A 3.96 ERA across a team-high 175 innings was the outcome. More significantly, he made 32 starts and stayed off the injured list.
“I just think that the mental growth we’ve seen of just understanding who he is, understanding who he can be going forward,” Blake stated. “And then just seeing how the league’s adjusting to him, I think he’s done a really nice job of just continuing to evolve.” At Yankee Stadium in Game 2, he will get the ball.
