NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Carlos Rod\u00f3n remembered back to last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t really bend my arm. I couldn\u2019t button a shirt,\u201d the New York Yankees<\/a> left-hander said. \u201dI couldn\u2019t scratch my face. I couldn\u2019t take a drink of water. … I could definitely never comb my hair.\u201d<\/p>\n Seven months after elbow surgery<\/a>, the 33-year-old is set to return to a major league mound Sunday at the Milwaukee Brewers. While he feels a lot better, it\u2019s not like when he reached the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox a decade ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s almost a virgin arm then,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n Rod\u00f3n is 93-72 with a 3.73 ERA in 11 major league seasons, including 37-26 since signing a $162 million, six-year contract with the Yankees<\/a> in December 2023.<\/p>\n He was 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA last season despite an ailing arm. His four-seam fastball velocity, which averaged 95.3 mph in his first season with the Yankees, was 94.4 mph in the first half last year and dropped to 93.8 mph in the second half.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was great last year. So, just had to do it a different way. He didn\u2019t have the range of motion,\u201d Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. \u201cBut I think if you talk to major league pitchers, especially ones that have done it for a while, you\u2019re kind of always dealing with different stuff. So credit to him for being able to navigate it last year and with excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n Rod\u00f3n\u2019s fastball velocity dropped to 93.4 mph in his Division Series start against Toronto, when he allowed six runs and lasted just 2 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were mending to him every day to get him to post,\u201d pitching coach Matt Blake said.<\/p>\n Rod\u00f3n said his elbow deterioration occurred over three-to-four years. He was willing to tolerate the pain to get through last season.<\/p>\n \u201cDid it hurt? Sometimes sure, pitching, but I\u2019d rather go out there and compete,\u201d he said. \u201cI was throwing well, so I couldn\u2019t just say, \u2018Oh, I can\u2019t pitch,\u2019 but it was manageable.\u201d<\/p>\n Rod\u00f3n had surgery Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur, then had a setback in late March when he felt tightness in his right hamstring<\/a> while throwing at the Yankees\u2019 Florida complex.<\/p>\n As part of his rehabilitation, he had a pair of platelet-rich plasma injections.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first one was early. I really remember it because it was vivid because my arm felt like it got ran over by a bus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He reported to spring training in the mid-to-upper 250-pound range, about 10 pounds above his target, but figured the weight would come off as he readied for his return.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess a happy offseason,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cI enjoy food.\u201d<\/p>\n Rod\u00f3n made three starts during a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment that started April 24<\/a> and had a 3.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts while allowing three walks and three homers in 16 innings.<\/p>\n