Carlos Rodon’s back ‘barking’ with next Yankees step uncertain

The Yankees may have to wait a little longer for Carlos Rodon.

The left-hander threw a two-inning bullpen session Monday in Tampa, as planned, but it came with a hitch: Rodon is still not in the clear from the back issue that first popped up last week during his rehab from a forearm muscle strain.

“His back is barking a little bit on him still, so we’re kind of seeing what’s going on there,” Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees opened a series against the Angels in The Bronx.

Boone said Rodon was “getting some tests” done, and the Yankees were awaiting the results before determining his next step.

After signing a six-year, $162 million deal with the Yankees in the offseason, Rodon started the season on the injured list because of the forearm muscle strain he sustained during his first and only start of spring training.

His elbow is now healthy, Boone said, but his back has become the more troublesome body part.

“I think it’s frustrating for him, certainly,” Boone said. “Again, elbow’s good. I don’t think this is any big deal, other than a nuisance that’s slowing him a little bit. We definitely know he’s going to be worth the wait. We just want to make sure he’s good to go when that time comes.”

Had Rodon’s bullpen session Monday gone smoothly, he likely would have been ready to advance to live batting practice, which would have then given way to a rehab assignment.

Instead, Rodon appears to be in something of a holding pattern until the back issue subsides.

“We gotta kind of get the back situation calmed down a little bit,” Boone said.

Rodon was initially scheduled to face hitters last week before he experienced back stiffness, which pushed his schedule back at least a few days.

Asked if Rodon had expressed any desire to keep pushing through the back issue, Boone said he had.

“He has been pushing along, and is,” Boone said. “We just want to get the back that’s kind of a nuisance thing right now calmed down.”

Rodon came with a lengthy injury history before he signed with the Yankees.

He was able to stay mostly healthy over the past two seasons — with only a short stint on the injured list in 2021 for left shoulder fatigue — while breaking out as one of the better pitchers in the game.

Before that, though, he missed time with shoulder soreness, Tommy John surgery, arthroscopic shoulder surgery and a sprained left wrist.

In addition to Rodon, the Yankees started the regular season without Luis Severino (strained lat) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery).

In their absences, the Yankees have used Domingo German, Clarke Schmidt and Jhony Brito to fill out the rotation behind Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes.

Severino, who is closer to a return than Rodon, is set to face hitters in live batting practice Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Severino was unsure how many pitches he would throw as he continues to build back up after sustaining his injury in the final week of spring training, but he said Tuesday he is now completely pain free.

“Feel really good actually,” Severino said.