Yankees' Carlos Rodón 'Didn't Have Great Life on His Fastball' vs. Rays, Boone Says

Carlos Rodón gave up a pair of homers and three runs on five hits in a little over three innings during his second Grapefruit League start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone said the veteran pitcher's fastball lacked bite.

"He didn't have great life on his fastball today," he told reporters. "But I felt, really, in between the first and last pitch, I thought he pitched really well. I thought he pitched, which was good to see."

Rodón generally agreed with the assessment.

"Didn't really have the fastball velo I wanted, but... it's one of those days," he said. "It's one of those days you got to be able to pitch without a fastball and kind of use some other things."

The Yankees are hoping Rodón can figure it out after a disappointing and injury-riddled 2023 season that saw him post a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts after signing a six-year, $162 million contract.

The Yankees disappointed in general but have been busy this offseason, most notably adding Juan Soto and Marcus Stroman. If pitchers like Rodón and Nestor Cortés can put together bounce-back seasons, New York's rotation has the potential to be excellent.