The New York Yankees finally have some clarity on their biggest offseason concern – the health of their stars. General Manager Brian Cashman delivered long-awaited injury updates Monday, outlining when ace Gerrit Cole, fellow starter Carlos Rodón, and shortstop Anthony Volpe are expected to return.
And while there’s some optimism, the picture isn’t pretty for April. Cashman revealed that Rodón is expected back in late April or sometime in May, while Cole – still recovering from Tommy John surgery – is likely out until May or June.
Volpe, meanwhile, is not expected to return in April as he rehabs from shoulder surgery, creating a major infield gap to open the season.
The uncertainty leaves the Yankees’ rotation thin in the early going. Without Cole and Rodón, the team will again rely heavily on left-hander Max Fried, who delivered a superb 2025 campaign: 19-5, 2.86 ERA, 189 strikeouts, and a fourth Gold Glove across 32 appearances. But behind him, depth remains a glaring question.
Cashman’s answers do not reassure Yankees fans
Volpe’s absence adds another complication. The young shortstop’s recovery is expected to force an internal shuffle – with names like Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Oswald Peraza potentially stepping into bigger roles unless Cashman lands a stop-gap veteran before Opening Day.
These timelines answer key questions, but they also signal a turbulent start in a stacked AL East. How the Yankees survive the first two months could decide the arc of their season – and whether they enter the summer as contenders or in catch-up mode.
Meanwhile, the club is exploring ways to bolster its frontline pitching, especially after last season’s rotation collapse once Cole went down. And one rumored solution is a reunion fans would love: right-hander Michael King.
Will King return to the Yankees?
King – the key piece dealt to San Diego in the Juan Soto blockbuster – flourished with the Padres. His breakout 2024 season, featuring an ERA around 3.00 and a seventh-place finish in NL Cy Young voting, helped him decline his mutual option and enter free agency.
Bringing him home would be expensive… but exactly the kind of move the Yankees may need to weather the storm until their stars return.
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