The New York Yankees appeared to be surging.
The had won five straight games heading into Thursday’s action.
However, for a team to complete such a miraculous comeback and sneak into the postseason against all odds, it needs every member of the lineup and pitching staff to perform to the best of their abilities.
That wasn’t the case with Carlos Rodon in Thursday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers.
The left-hander turned in his worst start of the season, allowing seven earned runs in 3.2 innings to take the loss.
Nobody expected the Yankees to get into the playoffs at this point, but they did get to 6.5 games behind the last Wild Card before Thursday.
Rodon couldn’t keep up the positive streak, though.
According to Talkin’ Baseball, his season ERA went all the way up to 6.60.
Carlos Rodon tonight:
3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 4 K to raise his season ERA to 6.60 pic.twitter.com/0pHxFq4atU
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 8, 2023
Only 16 pitchers in baseball have a worse ERA than Rodon, among those with at least 40 innings pitched.
As a two-pitch hurler, Rodon needs both his four-seamer and slider to be at their best to succeed.
Both pitches are currently off.
The back and forearm injuries he suffered earlier in the season may have been affecting him on the mound in recent outings.
Unfortunately, the Yankees might need to wait until next season to get the best version of Rodon in a best-case scenario.
As a reminder, the Yanks gave Rodon a $162 million contract over six years before the start of the 2023 campaign to lure him in free agency.
Amid failed expectations and boos, it’s fair to say 2023 hasn’t been a good first year in the Bronx for Rodon.
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