The New York Yankees can almost field an entire rotation of injured arms. Gerrit Cole, the reigning ace, is expected back sometime in the first half but won’t be ready when the season begins. Clarke Schmidt is on a similar timeline but more of a second-half play, while Carlos Rodón will also start the year on the injured list and miss the early weeks of the regular season.

That’s a lot of talent in the trainer’s room. As it stands, New York’s Opening Day rotation could feature Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Luis Gil—an intriguing group but one that lacks certainty. That’s why the possibility of top prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz sneaking his way into the mix isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound.

Why Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz is suddenly relevant

Rodriguez-Cruz, or “ERC” as he’s

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