It's unclear whether Yankees' Carlos Rodon has benefited from injection in back
Carlos Rodon during Yankees spring training. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
No news often means good news when it comes to injuries.
When it comes to lefthander Carlos Rodon and the shot he received in his bulky back on Tuesday, however, it cannot be said yet if that’s the case.
“I don’t have anything from today,” Aaron Boone said Saturday morning, a couple of hours before the Yankees' 9-8 victory over the Rays. “He was able to do a little bit Thursday and a little bit more yesterday as far as physical activity. And it’ll kind of be [him] coming in today and reassessing.”
Rodon started the season on the injured list with a left forearm strain, an injury that by all accounts has healed. But after he faced hitters April 5, his back began bothering him. After he was seen by three separate specialists, the injection was recommended.
Typically — though not always — when a player receives that kind of injection, he starts to have an idea of the shot’s effectiveness, one way or the other, within 48 hours.
As of Saturday morning, Boone didn’t have much to offer in the way of that kind of information.
“Not really, because the first couple of days, you’re dealing with the soreness of the shots,” he said. “It seems to be going fine, but we’ll have a better idea as he comes in and increases that physical activity, which we’re getting out of that 48-hour [period] now.”
As far as when Rodon will resume his throwing program, Boone said: “Hopefully that’s imminent,” though he did not have a timeframe.
Donaldson latest
Boone also did not have any specifics as to when Josh Donaldson, out since April 6 with a right hamstring strain, might begin another rehab assignment. The third baseman started a rehab assignment April 28 but reinjured the hamstring in that night’s game with Double-A Somerset.
“It seems to be going well, but we haven’t set a go-out [on a rehab assignment] date,” Boone said. “He looks good to me. He’s increasing his running and his movement in the field. He’s been hitting well for a while now. Hopefully we’re getting closer to that, but nothing’s been set yet.”
Next man up
Righthander Drew Rasmussen has never allowed a run against the Yankees in 21 innings, so when the Rays put him on the 60-day injured list Friday with a flexor strain in his right elbow, that might have appeared to be a break for the Yankees. However, no team produces pitchers like the Rays, who rarely find themselves short in that department. That has been the case for much of the last 15 years whenever they’ve been forced to dip into their system, whether because of injury or poor performance.
As one National League executive put it: “One thing you never worry about [with the Rays] is pitching. They always find it. Always.”
Volpe in company of one
Anthony Volpe, who stole two bases Saturday, became the first Yankee to steal his first 13 bases without getting caught, according to Elias (dating to 1921, when caught stealing was first recorded in the American League). Volpe surpassed Joe DiMaggio, who stole his first 12 bases without being caught from 1936-38.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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