Durability Concerns for Carlos Rodon? Breaking Down 2x All-Star’s Injury-Riddled Past

Life is like those classic NES platformers. Despite how good of a momentum you build, there’s always a pit there to suck you in. Sometimes you jump over it but when you fail, you’re forced to start from zero again. Carlos Rodon has been through a similar journey throughout his career. The New York Yankees’ pitcher has always seen a start/stop push to the top. One moment he’s excelling and the next he’s out of commission due to an injury.

Pitchers get injured, that’s an undeniable fact. The constant stress they put their arm through makes injuries a matter of “when” not “if” but in Rodon’s case the pain is higher. That’s because every time he’s looking to take the next step, his body gives up on him. That has led to the tag of being “injury-prone” getting attached to this two-time All-Star. But how did all of this come to pass? For that one will have to dive deep into the story of Rodon – the man who can’t catch a break.

A tough 2018: When Carlos Rodon suffered multiple left shoulder injuries 

Rodon was flying high in 2017. 2015 and 2016 had turned him into a permanent part of the Chicago White Sox’s rotation. With his star rapidly rising, 2017 was headed to become a huge breakout year for him. But then, things went in another direction – his pace had reduced and he was not loosening up properly during his starts. 

The team staff felt something was wrong to which Rodon agreed. After various checks, Rodon’s shoulder issues came to attention. That led to the first major surgery in Rodon’s career – the Arthroscopic shoulder surgery.  The surgery shut him down for the rest of that season. 2018 started with his wedding and things looked to be on the up for the ace.

However, he missed much of that season as his recovery had a few setbacks. In the end, Rodon was put on the injury list twice due to issues with his recovery in 2018. While he did return to form later, this season set the template for what was to come in Rodon’s career from that point onwards.

A stiff elbow until 2020:  Carlos Rodon’s two years of struggles with throwing arm

Things were once again looking great for Rodon. Though he wasn’t at his 2016 levels yet, the shoulder injury was behind him. At 26, he was ready to rock the league again in 2019. However, from the beginning, there was something off in his arm. The pitcher constantly felt some tightness, and his forearms too felt a little tender. Though he powered through it for some time, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles – things took an ugly turn.

Rodon’s arm gave away and once again he was in the Doctor’s room. After some examinations it was revealed that he had edema in the flexor mass – essentially there was blood in the muscle. Not a good sign as it could indicate a tear and that made the Tommy John surgery the only way out. 

Suddenly the man who was looking to become a star in 2017 was forced to undergo 2 surgeries in 2 years. This completely derailed his momentum and Rodon missed almost all of 2019 and 2020. The fact that he had to do rehab during the pandemic further slowed down his progress. Eventually, he came back again but this time an old friend joined him once more.

Troublesome Three years: No end to Rodon’s shoulder pain

Carlos Rodon’s 2020 ended with his left shoulder once again giving him issues. That shoulder had by now turned into a permanent part of his career. Even in 2021 and 2022, that issue kept giving its glimpse. Still, Rodon entered 2021 with a vengeance. He wanted to prove himself, he had to show that despite injuries he remained a talented pitcher.

That’s exactly what he did. With an ERA of 2.37, Rodon had his first All-Star season. Still, the shoulder issues persisted and he had to miss a few games due to it. By 2022, he had left the White Sox and joined the San Francisco Giants. While the team had changed, Rodon’s great form continued – he once again became an All-Star.

Rodon crossed 30 starts for the first time in his career and pitched a career-high 178 innings in 2022. Despite having forearm issues, Rodon didn’t miss any games. That became the reason for the Yankees to give Rodon a massive 6-year $162 million deal. Once again everything was going great for the pitcher, so obviously a downturn was about to begin.

Read more: Carlos Rodón Faces the Pressure, Yankees’ Star Pitcher Buzz Grows Amidst Gerrit Cole’s Injury Update

Problematic 2023: Carlos Rodon’s resurgence takes a hit

The Yankees had brought in Rodon to be the perfect no.2 for Gerrit Cole. He was to be the Robin to his Batman. Everything lined up perfectly for them until the “Spring Training of Hell” hit the Bronx Bombers. Day after day pitchers fell to injuries and unfortunately Rodon was one of them. His forearm issues from the Giants days returned and this time they were big enough for him to miss the opening day.

Still, it wasn’t that big of an issue, he’d be back in no time – that was what the Yankees believed. Until Rodon injured his back. That stiff back and his forearm led to Rodon missing three-plus months of 2023. He was forced to wait till July to make his debut in the Pinstripes and even then things didn’t get any better.

Rodon had lost control over his pitches and was getting attacked left, right, and center. From July to August 6, he pitched with a 7.33 ERA – a disastrous number. Then on August 6, he felt irritation on his hamstring and once again Rodon was on the injury list. That effectively told the whole story of his Yankees debut. 

Fast forward to 2024, Rodon is noticeably fitter and looking to bounce back. While Spring Training hasn’t been kind to him yet, he has begun showing glimpses of his talent. One wonders whether Rodon is once again flattering to deceive or whether the star is firmly back on healthy grounds. 

Read more: Meet Ashley Paddock, Wife of All-Star Yankees Pitcher Carlos Rodon