The New York Yankees’ rotation was riddled with injuries in 2025, with three major rotation stars missing time with their respective Tommy John surgeries.

Now well into the offseason, the Yankees have revealed return timelines for Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon from the rotation, and shortstop Anthony Volpe, who underwent a surprising shoulder surgery when their postseason came to a close.

“The Yankees expect Carlos Rodon to return in late April or sometime in May, with Gerrit Cole targeted for May/June,” MLB’s Bryan Hoch wrote on Twitter (now X). “They don’t expect Anthony Volpe back in April.”

Cole missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, with a 14-month projected recovery timeline then. He seems to be making steady progress, and the Yankees will look forward to having his talents back. Cole started for the Yankees in Game 1 and 5 of the 2024 World Series, and has been sorely missed.

Clarke Schmidt, who was expected to be among the Yankees’ starting rotation for 2025 with Max Fried (who is healthy as of now), suffered a similar season-ending injury back in July, prompting the Yankees to call up emerging star starter Cam Schlittler from Triple-A. The Yankees released a timeline for Schmidt back in October, projecting that he will be returning mid-way through 2026, ideally.

Rodon’s injury came as a surprise following his postseason performance, and he underwent a surgery in October to “remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur”, per MLB.

Their Plan in the Meantime

The Opening Day starting rotation is expected to consist of some combination of Fried, Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Yarbrough, with the Yankees prioritizing another rotation arm this offseason to make up for those absentee names in the spring. One of their named favorites for the job is Tatsuya Imai, a Japanese 27-year-old right-hander and highly-coveted free agent.

The shortstop role remains a question as well, given Volpe’s injury (compounded by fan skepticism of him, given his disappointing showing in 2025). Jose Caballero and Oswaldo Cabrera, the latter of whom is also fresh off a season-ending injury, are expected to compete for the role, with Volpe expected to take over when he is well again.

The Yankees could also consider trading for a stronger overall option at shortstop, in an effort to shore up their infield bats and, ideally, inject some balance into an already lefty-heavy batting lineup. With the winter meetings underway, we’ll see what they do with their present opportunity.

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