Boone is highly confident in the depth of the Yankees' starting rotation and looks forward to the strong returns of Cole and Rodón.

When everyone is back to full health, New York will have one of the top and most well-stocked starting rotations in the majors. That said, it’s not yet time: Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón remain in post-surgery rehab. Cole had Tommy John surgery last March, and Rodón had bone spurs taken out of his left elbow in October. Clarke Schmidt, who also had Tommy John surgery last July, is expected to miss most if not all of the 2026 season.

Although the team eagerly anticipates the early return of these frontline pitchers, manager Aaron Boone stresses there is no rush. In his view, the current starting rotation is already quite solid.

“We expect the opening rotation to include Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and Luis Gil,” Boone said today on MLB Network Radio, “and we always have guys like Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn who are fully capable of filling those roles.”

Cole is expected to come back in May. Rodón, who recently reported positive rehab progress, threw bullpen sessions at the team’s spring training facility in Tampa just the day before yesterday. Boone expects he won’t miss too many regular-season games.

While waiting for these two pitchers to rejoin the team, the Yankees will rely on their current available starters. They believe the existing depth is sufficient to handle the early part of the season’s challenges.

“We think the depth is good, especially for the start of the season,” Boone said, “and as the schedule moves into the summer months, the team’s roster is expected to become even stronger.”