Rodon, who signed a six-year, $162 million contract before the 2023 season, was expected to be a key piece of the Yankees' rotation. But his first season in New York was a disaster. He was derailed by injuries, limiting him to just 14 starts with a 6.85 ERA.

Rodón was named the Yankees’ Opening Day starter by manager Aaron Boone on Friday afternoon. “He was lined up and I feel really good about giving him the ball,“ Boone said before Friday night’s spring game against the Phillies.

Which is how you can — true story — come to an Opening Day, as the Yankees did in 2007, with Joe Torre picking among Kei Igawa, Jeff Karstens and Carl Pavano. He went with Pavano basically because the season could not begin without someone delivering that first pitch.