Carlos Rodón's post-surgery recovery is going well: he can now button his own shirt and jokingly says he's "lubricating the joint."

Carlos Rodón, the New York Yankees' left-handed starter, explained in a recent interview that prior to his left elbow surgery last October, his dominant arm’s mobility was greatly restricted, to the point where he couldn’t touch the top of his head or fasten his shirt buttons. Now, he can easily do these actions.

More than three months into recovery, while training in Florida, Rodón reports feeling "very well" and that his rehabilitation is on track. His goal is to return to the team's rotation early in the 2026 regular season. "Lately, I’ve been throwing a lot," Rodón said during an interview with Foul Territory at the New York Baseball Writers’ Dinner. "It’s like putting some 'lubrication' on the elbow joint to prepare for the season start. The doctors removed quite a few bone fragments, but everything is improving now."

Thanks to his experience undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, Rodón was prepared for the elbow rehab process, but he noted this recovery has been very different. "The rehab from Tommy John surgery was very lonely—long and monotonous," he recalled. "You watch your teammates play while you’re sidelined for 16 months, only able to watch as a fan, doing repetitive flexion, extension, strength training, and various shoulder stability exercises every day... it was a solitary journey."

"But this time is completely different. This was just a minor arthroscopic elbow surgery, and I was throwing again after eight weeks. The whole process now doesn’t feel like a traditional rehab."

Although he knows he won’t be ready for Opening Day, Rodón hopes his absence won’t be prolonged. "Obviously," he emphasized, "I want to be fully prepared and ready to return to the field at any moment."

The 33-year-old Rodón pitched a career-high 195.1 innings last season, striking out 203 batters and limiting opponents to a .195 batting average, ultimately finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.