"It has not been fun" - Carlos Rodon opens up on pitching struggles, regrets holding Yankees back

After posting the worst season of his MLB career in 2024, Carlos Rodon's early-season play fostered hopes that the Yankees ace had put his struggles behind him. However, after yet another poor start from Rodon on Tuesday, that narrative is falling by the wayside.

On Tuesday, Rodon made his 19th start of the season. Coming into the game against the Rays at Tropicana Field, the 30-year-old had allowed 18 earned runs in his last 14 innings. Very early on in Tuesday's game, it became apparent that little had changed.

"Issac Paredes sends Carlos Rodon to the shadow realm early. #RaysUp # MLB" - Top Bunk Sports

After an RBI double from Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena in the first inning, Carlos Rodon surrendered a 383-foot shot to Isaac Paredes. Before the first inning had even concluded, Rodon and the Yankees trailed their divisional counterparts 4-1.

Rodon lasted four innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and striking out five. Credited with the loss, the Miami native is now 9-7 with a 4.63 ERA on the season. After the game, Bryan Hoch caught up with the struggling pitcher, who said per MLB.com:

“It has not been fun, that’s for sure, I’m just not really giving my team a chance to win, giving up runs early. I’ve just got to put up a zero in the first and try to stretch something together. I keep saying, put it behind me. I have to.”

Rodon now has a 9.42 ERA in his past three starts, and the New York Yankees have dropped 17 of their last 23 affairs. A former multiple-time Cy Young contender, it now looks as though Rodon will do well to finish the 2024 season in one piece.

Carlos Rodon is his own harshest critic

After pitching to a 6.85 in just fourteen starts last season, Rodon knows he has to be better. Once considered one of MLB's top arms during his days with the San Francisco Giants, Rodon also reflected to Hoch about his four-run first inning on Tuesday:

“That’s got to be a shut-down inning, It’s tough to swallow. I’ve got to be better than that.”

With Rodon's numbers in freefall, Yankees GM Brian Cashman will soon need to determine the team's deadline requirements. For Carlos Rodon, who is heading for another career-worst year, those decisions might have particular ramifications.