Practioners

Yankees will have more doctors check on injured pitcher Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon can throw. He just can’t pitch.

The lefthander’s back has not improved to the point where the Yankees can put him on a road back to the rotation, so there is no timetable for the club’s biggest offseason pitching acquisition to make his first start in pinstripes.

“He can’t get over the hump with the back, so we’re having other people look at it,’’ manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday’s game against Cleveland at the Stadium. “He’s continuing to throw through all this, but getting him to that place we need to get him to – that hasn’t happened.”

Rodon has worked with the team medical staff, but Boone said “we’re getting some more doctors’ eyes on it.”

“We’re trying to make sure we’re getting as many eyes on him as we can to see what exactly the course of action is,” Boone said. “Do you throw through it? Is there time off needed? We trying to see the best course of action to try and get over that final hump.”

Rodon threw a bullpen session on Monday. Boone said he is experiencing no pain through his elbow, shoulder or back. The issue the back injury presents, he explained, “it’s just getting to position the way he needs to move (and) we’ve got to get him there.”

Rodon was 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings last season with the Giants before the Yankees signed him to a six-year, $162 million contract. It’s especially hard to not be getting return on the investment with the team in last place entering Tuesday’s game.

“I want to get him right and get the Carlos Rodon we know we’re going to get,’’ Boone said. “I’m confident we’ll get there.”

Tommy John surgery for Trivino

The second opinion righthanded reliever Lou Trivino got for his elbow strain on Tuesday wasn’t a good one. He will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles and is lost for the remainder of the season.

This news, combined with Jonathan Loaisiga being out until at least August after Tuesday surgery to remove what Boone described as a bone spur and floating bodies, means the Yankees’ bullpen won’t approach its intended design for some time.

“I feel like we’re still going to have a chance to have a really good bullpen,” Boone said.

Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.

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