Once it was revealed that defending American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole would be out for a month or two, the New York Yankees had to make a change.
Cole was on track to start on Opening Day, but the Yankees ace will begin the season on the disabled list after he underwent testing for an elbow injury.
The Yankees' rotation beyond Cole is mostly question marks, as Carlos Rodón, Néstor Cortés and Marcus Stroman all struggled last year despite all being All-Stars.
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Marcus Stroman of the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 19, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
The Yankees signed Stroman in the offseason, and he and the team discussed him as their possible opening day starter, but he passed on the opportunity.
Pitchers are notoriously known for being creatures of habit, and Stroman fits that mold. Stroman, never overwhelming, said he wanted to stay “on schedule and on track.” His current schedule lines him up for the third game of the season on March 30.
Marcus Stroman of the New York Yankees throws a pitch to the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during a 2024 Grapefruit League spring training game at TD Ballpark on March 8, 2024, in Dunedin, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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“I think they thought I was going to say, ‘Hey, let me get it.’ That's not my nature, man,” Stroman said earlier this week. “I don't care. I trust whoever comes out of this team to get the job done. At the end of the day, it's just another game. I'm not someone who's going to get upset.” if I don't get the go-ahead on opening day.
“I'm trying to get out there for 30-plus starts. That's the goal for me. I have confidence in whoever we put out for opening day. At this point, it's very difficult to stay on schedule and on track. “They came to see me, but Like I said, they agreed, and I also agreed that it was probably best to stay on the schedule we came up with.”
The Yankees announced Friday that Cortés would start on Opening Day, likely followed by Rodón and Stroman. Stroman's schedule also puts him in line to start the Yankees' home opener on April 5 against his first MLB team, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Marcus Stroman of the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 19, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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The Bombers open their season on March 28 against the Astros in Houston.
