Carlos Rodon's Back and the Brewers Are About to Find Out What They've Been Missing

After nearly eight months on the sidelines following elbow surgery last October, Carlos Rodon is finally taking the mound again. The Yankees' veteran left-hander gets his season debut Sunday against Milwaukee, and New York desperately needs him. The Brewers just won a 10-inning thriller to take a 2-0 series lead, and another loss means getting swept. That's not happening on Rodon's watch if he's got anything to say about it.

A Return Eight Months in the Making

Rodon has been working his way back through the minor leagues, and his path to Sunday tells you everything about where his arm is at. He made three rehab starts without a decision and posted a 3.38 ERA. Then on Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, things got messy. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings on 83 pitches, walking two and striking out four. Not ideal, but Rodon's been through this rodeo before. "This being probably my third time through a lengthy rehab process, I have some experience, although most people don't want to really say that," he told the New York Post, leaning on those battle-tested lessons from previous comebacks.

When he was healthy last season, Rodon was dominant. He went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA across 33 starts and made the All-Star team. His postseason wasn't pretty (0-0, 9.72 ERA in two starts), but the regular season was All-Star caliber stuff. Head-to-head against Milwaukee, Rodon owns a 2-1 record with a 2.42 ERA in five career starts. More importantly, he's beaten the Brewers in his last two season matchups, allowing just two runs on six hits over 11 1/3 innings combined.

The Brewers Can't Let This Slip Away

Milwaukee's got the momentum right now. On Saturday, the Brewers rallied off the Yankees bullpen to steal a 4-3 win in 10 innings. Cam Schlittler was unhittable for New York, holding them to two runs on just two hits over six scoreless innings and lowering his league-best ERA to 1.35. But the Yankees scored in the 10th, and the Brewers answered with two runs of their own. William Contreras capped it off with a walkoff sacrifice fly with the bases loaded.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy isn't looking ahead to any sweep. "I never look at like when we win the first two games, hey, we won the series," Murphy said. "I don't like to think about that. It's win tonight, we'll deal with game three tomorrow. I'm sure they have Rodon going. He's special." He's not wrong. The Yankees are facing Logan Henderson (0-1, 4.50 ERA) opposite, and while Henderson was lights out last season with a 1.78 ERA across five starts, he's struggling early this year. This is a chance for Rodon to announce he's back and keep New York alive.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.