Yankees name Carlos Rodón to start Game 1 of ALCS vs. Guardians

NEW YORK -- Left-hander  Carlos Rodón will start the American League Championship Series opener for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.

Rodón rebounded to a 16-9 record with a 3.96 ERA over 175 innings in 32 starts in his second season with the Yankees after signing a six-year, $162 million contract. He went 3-8 with a career-worst 6.85 ERA over 14 outings in a 2023 season that didn't start for him until July 7 because of a strained left forearm and back stiffness.

Rodón, 31, took the loss in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the  Kansas City Royals on Monday.

He pitched shutout ball until giving up a leadoff homer to Salvador Perez that sparked a four-run fourth inning. Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia added RBI singles in a 4-2 win that evened the best-of-five series.

Rodón's wife, Ashley, said she received online harassment following his defeat.

"It's not the first time nor will it be the last time," the pitcher said. "I think Ashley and I spoke about it that night, and she said, and I quote, she said, 'I have thick skin, so I'm going to be OK.' And she does. She's a tough lady, my wife, very tough, probably tougher than I am. For me, on my phone, I have accounts, but I do not have social media on my phone."

Ace Gerrit Cole starts Game 2 on Tuesday, followed by Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 at Cleveland on Thursday and rookie Luis Gil the following day in Game 4.

"It was really kind of choosing between Clarke and Carlos," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday about his Game 1 decision. "It just felt like it was close, and I feel like this kind of keeps them on rhythm as much as possible without giving one guy a huge, long layoff."

Boone said it was possible that first baseman Anthony Rizzo could be added to the roster but no decision had been made. Rizzo has been sidelined since fracturing a pair of fingers when hit by a pitch Sept. 28.

"He did a lot more yesterday and did pretty well, but I want to see more today," Boone said before the workout. "There's a chance."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.