Yankees' Carlos Rodón shows good velocity but struggles with control in his season debut

Boone called the high walk total the “bugaboo” for Rodón. That proved costly in the fourth inning.

Rodón, 33, started that inning by walking William Contreras and Gary Sánchez and hitting Andrew Vaughn with a pitch, loading the bases. Garrett Mitchell brought home a run with a sacrifice fly before Rodón allowed a two-run, two-out single to Blake Perkins, who is hitting just .122 this season.

He left the game with two men on and one out in the fifth.

“It was fun being back out there,” Rodón said. “Obviously would have liked to perform better.”

Rodón’s return came on the final day of a disappointing weekend for the Yankees, who were swept for just the second time all season. Milwaukee’s Brice Turang ended the game with a walk-off homer off David Bednar.

Although the Yankees lead the American League in scoring, they totaled just six runs this weekend as Ben Rice went 0 for 13 in his return from a bruised hand that caused him to miss four games, Spencer Jones was 1 for 9 with five strikeouts in his first three big league hames.

The good news for the Yankees is that Rodón’s arrival should boost a starting rotation that already was perhaps the best in the major leagues.

Yankees starting pitchers entered Sunday with a league-best 3.01 ERA in 40 games. Counting Sunday's game, Yankees starters have allowed three earned runs or fewer in 19 of their last 22 outings.

Cam Schlitter (5-1) owns an MLB-leading 1.35 ERA to top a rotation that also has featured Max Fried (4-2, 2.91), Will Warren (4-1, 3.46) and Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.03). The Yankees also have 2023 Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole working his way back from Tommy John surgery after missing the 2025 season.