Yankees get first look at 22-year-old pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez in his big league debut

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Elmer Rodriguez got his first big league strikeout on what became a strange double play and the right-hander escaped the first bases-loaded jam in his debut for the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old, among the Yankees’ top prospects, pitched into the fifth inning of their 3-0 loss to Texas. The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth before Josh Jung hit a two-run single that chased him after 80 pitches.

“Obviously, not the result that we wanted, but I went out there and competed and felt great,” Rodriguez said.

“A lot of good out there, we saw his stuff plays,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Just a little better on the strike-throwing part and, you know, it’s a different line. But still kept us in the game, gave us a chance.”

Rodriguez walked four, hit a batter and struck out three while throwing 42 of his 80 pitches for strikes. He allowed four hits and two runs.

Rodriguez took right-hander Luis Gil’s spot in the rotation after the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year was optioned to Triple-A following a 7-4 loss to the Astros on Sunday. That is a tweak at the back end of the rotation while Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole rehab from injuries.

Even though he threw balls on 11 of his first 18 pitches, Rodriguez got out of his first big league inning without giving up a run, getting help from that double play.

“I was kind of confused at the moment. I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “But thankfully, I got the strikeout and got the double play.”

Jung signaled for a challenge of a 96.5 mph sinker on a called third strike while Brandon Nimmo, who led off with a walk on five pitches, was thrown out at second on an attempted stolen base. But there was a pause, the ABS review and a conversation among all four umpires before both outs were confirmed.

The Rangers failed to score again in the second after loading the bases when their Nos. 7-9 batters reached with two outs — on two singles and a walk — before Nimmo’s inning-ending flyout to center.

After 1-2-3 innings in both the third and fourth innings, Rodriguez opened the fifth by hitting a batter and walking another before Nimmo’s infield single on a hard short-hopper not handled by first baseman Ben Rice. Jung grounded a ball through the left side of the infield for a 2-0 lead.

“Obviously, strike-throwing wasn’t as sharp as it’s going be with him and typically is,” Boone said. “At the end of the day, threw up four zeros and then got himself into a little bit of trouble there in the fifth.”

Rodriguez became only the fourth pitcher born in Puerto Rico to start a game for the Yankees, the first since Javier Vázquez in 2010. Rodriguez pitched for his home country in the World Baseball Classic last month.

“It was great. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of my whole life and just being out there, seeing the crowd, seeing the field, it was something special,” Rodriguez said of his big league debut.

The only other starting pitchers age 22 or younger to make their big league debuts for the Yankees since 2008 were Deivi García at age 21 on Aug. 30, 2020, and 21-year-old Luis Severino on Aug. 5, 2015.

In four starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before getting called up, Rodriguez was 1-2 with a 1.27 ERA. He had 20 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 1/3 innings.

Drafted by Boston in 2021, he was sent the Yankees in December 2024 for catcher Carlos Narvaez.

Even before the game, Boone had said Rodriguez had earned his way to the majors and was ready for it.

“He’s got the stuff,” Boone said then. “I think this is a kid that is going to have a long career as a starting pitcher in this league.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb