ARLINGTON, Texas — At least for two or three starts, the Yankees are about to find out how one of their top pitching prospects’ potential plays in the big leagues.

Elmer Rodríguez will be called up to make his major league debut Wednesday afternoon against the Rangers, rewarding the 22-year-old right-hander after a standout past year in the minors.

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Before Carlos Rodón returns from the injured list, potentially in about two weeks, Rodríguez will fill the rotation spot of the recently demoted Luis Gil and get a chance to show he is ready to impact the Yankees now.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” Rodríguez said Tuesday at Globe Life Field. “Obviously getting the chance to debut, especially in a Yankee uniform, is something I’ve always dreamed of. Happy to be here.”

Since the Yankees acquired Rodríguez during the 2024-2025 offseason from the Red Sox for catcher Carlos Narváez, he has been one of the best pitchers in the minor leagues. From the start of 2025 through Monday, he was third in the minors with 196 strikeouts, and his 2.42 ERA ranks fourth among pitchers who had thrown at least 130 innings.

Rodríguez was away from spring training for a few weeks to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic as fellow top prospect Carlos Lagrange stole the spotlight with his strong camp and triple-digit fastball.

But some scouts view Rodríguez as more of a sure thing as far as being a starter long term, and for this role right now, Aaron Boone acknowledged Tuesday that Rodríguez was the best fit.

“He’s earned that opportunity,” Boone said. “He’s got a good arsenal that can get you a lot of ways. Good movement on his fastball, both two and four-seam. Spins the ball well, athletic. He’s just polished, moves well on the mound, good stuff, but some pitchability, too.”

An AL scout who saw Rodríguez pitch with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this month described him as having “pretty advanced feel for a young [right-handed pitcher].” 

Rodríguez, who pitched to a 1.27 ERA through four starts at SWB, was scheduled to start for the RailRiders on Tuesday. But he was in his hotel room playing video games late Monday night when he got a call from the receptionist that Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan was in the lobby and it was “urgent.”

Duncan initially told his pitcher he was doing curfew checks before coming clean that Rodríguez needed to fly to Texas on Tuesday morning to make his MLB debut Wednesday. The Puerto Rico native’s first call was to his family, whom he is hoping to have in attendance for his start.

“My mom jumped out of the bed, excited,” Rodríguez said with a smile.

The Yankees could have waited until next week to reinsert a fifth starter, taking advantage of Thursday’s off-day, but instead they will have Rodríguez jump in Wednesday and give everyone an extra day off before their next start.

Rodón is scheduled to make another rehab start Thursday and then will need at least one more before he returns.

But in the meantime, Rodríguez will have a chance to solidify his spot on the depth chart and build on what has been a fast rise over the past year — after starting last season at High-A.

“I’m pretty confident,” Rodríguez said. “I’m pretty poised on the mound. I try to control the game, at my own pace, and go out there and attack.”

“I feel like I’ve been attacking guys every single pitch. Feel confident throwing any single pitch in any single count. Being more in the zone has helped me get better results.”


Boone was impressed with Rodríguez’s poise and demeanor from watching him this spring, but now will get to see how he handles the biggest stage yet.

“He’s a guy that we view, or I certainly do, as a guy that’s going to have a long career in this game as a starting pitcher,” Boone said. “Feel good about him taking the ball and he’s very, very capable.”