The Yankees’ starting rotation for their upcoming ALDS is taking a bit more shape, with the team announcing that Carlos Rodon would start Game 2 on Monday in The Bronx.
The lefty will follow ace Gerrit Cole, who will get the ball Saturday in the opener against the winner of the Baltimore-Kansas City wild-card series.
The Royals won the first game of that series on Tuesday.
Pitching coach Matt Blake added that the team still hasn’t landed on a starter for Game 3, waiting instead until they see if Clarke Schmidt or Luis Gil is needed out of the bullpen on Saturday.
The team is more comfortable with using Schmidt in relief because the right-hander has done it before, but they aren’t ruling anything out with Gil.
As for Rodon, being tabbed for Game 2 is the latest step forward of his bounce-back season after a disastrous debut with the Yankees a year ago.
Blake noted Rodon has been good for much of the second half of the season and has done well using a bigger pitch arsenal.
He’s also pitched better at home than on the road.