Carlos Rodón has earned the Yankees’ Game 3 ball

New York has not announced its Game 3 starter. Aaron Boone has said Carlos Rodón lines up for Game 3 or 4 at Yankee Stadium, with Max Fried also available. The choice matters more after the Yankees dropped the ALDS opener to Tampa Bay.

Here is my call: give Rodón Game 3. He threw eight scoreless innings against the Rays on Sept. 22, a performance that deserves more weight than a rigid rotation order. He finished the regular season 7-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 16 starts. The left-hander is rested and already knows he can get through this lineup multiple times.

Yankees have a useful choice, not a fixed plan

Boone described the rotation as a good, difficult decision. He is right. Gerrit Cole started Game 1, Cam Schlittler gets Game 2 on Monday, and Fried gave the Yankees six strong innings in the Wild Card clincher. Nobody has been pushed into this spot because the other choices are poor.

But the Rays are not a team New York should plan around in the abstract. Rodón just faced them and kept them off the board for eight innings. If the Yankees win Monday, he can take the ball at home with a chance to put New York ahead. If they lose, he is the starter I would trust to stop the series from ending in three games.

Fried would still be available for Game 4, giving the Yankees a second left-hander and the flexibility to adjust based on how Game 3 actually goes. Waiting until the series reaches another difficult spot to decide which pitcher best matches Tampa Bay is unnecessary.

The Yankees already made their Game 2 choice in Schlittler . Game 3 deserves the same clarity. Rodón's most recent outing against this opponent was as convincing as any audition Boone could ask for.