CHICAGO — Carlos Rodon is back where he started the season: on the injured list.
The Yankees placed Rodon on the 15-day IL Monday with a “low-grade” left hamstring strain, manager Aaron Boone said, a day after it forced the left-hander to leave his sixth start of the season early.
Rodon wanted to pitch through the injury, according to Boone, but the Yankees erred on the side of caution.
The plan is for Rodon to continue to throw off flat ground and potentially only miss the minimum 15 days.
“There was some debate — and he certainly wants to pitch, he does not want to go on the IL, feels like he can pitch through this,” Boone said before the Yankees lost 5-2 to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. “But we just felt like if it was going to be six or seven days, and with the nature of the injury, especially as he’s been through some things this year trying to get going, didn’t want to put him out there in a compromising situation.
“So hopefully it’s something that’s short. He’ll continue to throw and work his way through this and be back when the time’s up.”
The hamstring issue is the latest setback for Rodon, whose season was delayed by a forearm muscle strain and back discomfort.
After signing a six-year, $162 million contract in the offseason, he did not make his Yankees debut until July 7. Exactly a month later, he is back on the shelf.
In his six starts between IL stints, Rodon posted a 7.33 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 18 walks in 27 innings.
“The competitor he is, he was adamant and fought going on [the IL],” Boone said. “But we feel like it’s the right thing to do.
“I think he’s frustrated with it obviously, but there’s still time to have a significant impact this season for us.”
Rodon’s latest injury further exposes the Yankees’ shallow starting pitching depth.
They did just get Nestor Cortes back from the IL, but only a few days after announcing that Domingo German would miss the rest of the season to get treatment for alcohol abuse.
Randy Vasquez, who was a candidate to replace the struggling Luis Severino in the rotation, will likely fill Rodon’s spot while he is out.
Severino threw a bullpen session on Monday and is “getting set to start Wednesday,” Boone said, though the manager left himself some wiggle room on that plan depending on how Monday and Tuesday’s games went.
Rodon’s next turn in the rotation is Saturday, though the Yankees could use Thursday’s off day to push back the need for a fifth starter until next Tuesday in Atlanta.
The Yankees could also opt to have Vasquez start on Wednesday against the lowly White Sox and give Severino time to work through his issues in a few more bullpen sessions.
Jhony Brito, another depth starter who was just sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, is not eligible to come back up for 15 days unless he is replacing an injured pitcher.
The Yankees instead recalled reliever Nick Ramirez on Monday to take Rodon’s roster spot for now.
Still, Boone expressed confidence in his rotation during a critical point in the season as the Yankees try to reclaim a playoff spot.
“Certainly we’ve had our challenges, but I do have a lot of confidence that we can get to a really good place,” Boone said. “Carlos is one of those guys, and I still believe that that can happen this year. We saw Nestor come back the other day and throw the ball really well.
“We know what he’s capable of. Obviously Gerrit [Cole] is in the middle of another amazing season. Clarke Schmidt’s really come of age here over the last few months. And obviously we gotta get Sevy on track.
“But I do feel like it’s not out of the realm that all those things can come together still. That’s what we’re working to do.”