With the New York Yankees shutting down Gerrit Cole for the next month or two, the team just lost more than its ace.
They lost the only sure thing in a rotation full of question marks regarding performance.
They lost the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and they also lost their Opening Day starter.
Now, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is left scrambling for an option to take on the Houston Astros on March 28.
Who will be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter?
Not even Boone knows at this point, but he says he is leaning toward one of his pitchers.
“Aaron Boone said he’s ‘leaning a certain way’ for the Yankees’ Opening Day starter but isn’t ready to name him. On the YES broadcast, he said Rodón is penciled in for Game 2,” Yankees insider Chris Kirschner tweeted.
Aaron Boone said he’s “leaning a certain way” for the Yankees’ Opening Day starter but isn’t ready to name him.
On the YES broadcast, he said Rodón is penciled in for Game 2.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 13, 2024
The logical option, talent-wise, would be Rodon, but Boone says he will use him for Game 2.
The remaining options for the opening game are Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and Nestor Cortes.
Stroman has had the longer, more successful career but he is new in the team.
Schmidt was a first-rounder back in 2017 and has slowly earned his way, and Cortes has had the best recent peak in form after posting a 2.90 ERA in 2021 and a 2.44 mark in 2022.
All three have a strong case, as it is unlikely that Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, Luke Weaver, Cody Poteet, or whoever enters the rotation in Cole’s place pitches the opening game.
An official announcement by Boone should come soon, but it should be one of those three hurlers.
NEXT:
Aaron Boone Shares A Positive Aaron Judge Update Amid Injury Scare
