CARLOS RODON REVEALS SHOCKING VELOCITY SPIKE DURING INTENSE YANKEES REHAB PROGRESS
Carlos Rodon reveals he is throwing harder with less effort during Yankees rehab following surgery to remove an elbow bone chip.
The New York Yankees already have Max Fried and Cam Schlittler locked in, along with a rotation that’s clearly built to compete. What’s still uncertain is exactly which Carlos Rodon we’ll see once he’s back, and the same goes for Gerrit Cole. But early signs from Rodon’s rehab suggest the outcome could be better than most anticipated.
Rodon had surgery at the end of the 2025 season to remove a bone chip from his throwing elbow. At his worst this offseason, he struggled with basic tasks like buttoning his shirt, let alone firing the mid-90s fastball that’s defined his career over the last five years.
That image is striking when you consider this is a 33-year-old lefty who logged a career-high 195.1 innings last year. He pushed through elbow pain late in the season just to stay in the rotation. That kind of grit builds trust. Now, that perseverance might pay off in the form of a Rodon with more life in his arm than we’ve seen for some time.
What Rodon’s Rehab Is Revealing
Here’s the part Yankees fans should find genuinely encouraging. Rodon’s been gradually ramping up his velocity, but with an unexpected twist: he’s throwing harder when he actually eases off on his effort. It’s counterintuitive, but it signals that his mechanics are settling back into place.
“I backed off and threw harder,” Rodon told the New York Post. “I was like, ‘OK, that makes no sense.’ But it made it easier to command. It’s just the little ins and outs of pitching, trying to find the stroke again, knowing how much effort in this pitch and the line of this pitch. It takes a little time.”
That statement says a lot. He’s not just telling reporters he feels good; he’s genuinely navigating the complexities of his delivery and discovering something authentic. When a pitcher backs off but gains velocity, it often means the tension is gone; the arm flows more naturally. The bone chip is out, range of motion is returning, and the arm is functioning as it should.
The overall strategy is just as promising. Rodon isn’t rushing from rehab velocity to game speed in one jump. He’s progressing deliberately. “I’m just trying to tick up a little before I get there so I can close the gap of a big discrepancy in velocity,” he explained. “So just slowly building to get the velocity up so when I get in a game, it’s a lot more natural than just going from 90 mph to 98 mph. We’ll see what it does.”
This approach reflects the experience of a veteran who understands that pushing too hard, too fast, often ends with a trip back to surgery.
The Implications for the Yankees
Looking at Rodon’s 2025 stats on Fangraphs tells a story worth noting. He posted a solid 3.09 ERA over 195.1 innings, his career high. His average fastball velocity dropped by 1.3 mph from 2024 to 94.1 mph, yet he put up some of the best results of his career. He clearly pitched through discomfort and still performed at a high level. When fully healthy during the midseason stretch, Rodon was among the elite pitchers in the American League. His strikeout rate dipped slightly, and he faded at the end, but those were signs of managing pain rather than decline.
Now imagine that pain gone, and the lost range of motion restored.
You’re likely looking at a Rodon pitching closer to 95 or 96 mph, with the refined command he’s been honing in rehab, and a realistic return to the rotation around May or June. The Yankees anticipated this scenario. They constructed a starting five designed to handle the innings until Rodon and Cole are ready to take the mound. But if Rodon returns with a freer, harder arm than he has in years, this rotation stops being just good; it becomes a serious challenge for the rest of the league.
The bone chip is out. The arm is loosening up. The Yankees’ best version of Carlos Rodon could very well be yet to come.
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
_1776091495.webp)
Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”
LUKA DONčIć'S RETURN TIMELINE REVEALED; ESPN ANALYST HINTS AT LATE FIRST-ROUND COMEBACK
Ramona Shelburne reveals a potential return timeline for Luka Dončić. Discover how the Lakers can save their season.
So, when exactly might Luka Dončić make his return from that hamstring injury? A leading ESPN analyst has put forward a timeline that, if it holds true, could significantly improve the Lakers’ chances in the playoffs.
Why is this important? Because the timeline hints at Dončić possibly coming back during the first round, assuming the Lakers manage to push the series beyond a quick exit.
Dončić, originally from Slovenia, has quite a background. As a teenager, he spent five years playing for Real Madrid, even leading them to a EuroLeague title in 2018. That same year, the Atlanta Hawks picked him third overall in the draft but traded him immediately to Dallas.
Right now, Dončić is back in Spain for treatment on the hamstring he hurt early April during a Lakers loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reports from the Los Angeles Times suggest he’s undergoing advanced therapies like ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell injections, approaches designed to accelerate healing.
It’s interesting to note that while the US only allows PRP and stem cell treatments using the patient’s own cells without manipulation, European regulations are less strict. This means doctors there can boost the concentration of anti-inflammatory agents or culture stem cells over several days, potentially speeding up recovery.
So, if these treatments yield the hoped-for results, when might Dončić be back on the court? ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shared her perspective during a recent interview.
She pointed out that Dončić’s return could give LeBron James a fitting finale in his long and storied NBA career, basically setting the stage for a memorable chapter. Shelburne mentioned that there’s a chance Luka could rejoin the team later in the first-round series. He’s actively receiving daily treatment in Spain and stays in constant communication with teammates, which sounds promising.
Even if he doesn’t make it back for the entire first round, that window of possibility offers some hope. If the Lakers can stretch their series by a couple of games at home, maybe Dončić’s comeback becomes more than just a distant dream.
Put simply, whether Dončić returns during the first round seems to hinge on whether the Lakers avoid a sweep by their likely first-round foe, the Houston Rockets.
Looking at the Lakers’ playoff picture with just one regular-season game left, they’re on a two-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s finale against the Utah Jazz, a team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Win that game, and the Lakers secure the No. 4 seed, thanks to tiebreakers over both Houston, trailing by one game, and the Denver Nuggets, a game ahead. That would set up a first-round matchup against Houston.
However, if the Lakers win and the Nuggets lose their last game to the Spurs, the Lakers could leap to the No. 3 seed and host the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
