Yankees Turn to Struggling Starters for San Francisco Giants Series

The New York Yankees have two of their three least consistent starters topping the rotation for the San Francisco Giants series.

Apr 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (98) pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees start a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants on Friday with their less consistent starters on the hill.

The Yankees (7-5) have put up some of the best offensive numbers in baseball, led by outfielder Aaron Judge, who looks like he’s trying to win a third American League MVP award. Even those New York has cooled a bit, it still leads the AL East by a game over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The pitching has been part of that cooling. Without Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees rotation has had to turn to starters that might not have been in the rotation otherwise. Max Fried started on Wednesday, which takes him out of the rotation his weekend.

Meanwhile, New York is dealing with a Giants team (9-3) that is coming off a walk-off win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at Oracle Park.

Monday’s contest, set for 7:50 p.m., pits Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman (0-0, 7.27) against Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (2-0, 3.18).

At one point during spring training Stroman was rumored to be on the trade block and told reporters that he would not accept a move to the bullpen. The injuries meant the Yankees had to lean on Stroman, who has struggled in his first two starts.

In his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he only went four innings. He gave up three hits, four runs and three walks. He struck out three. He hasn’t thrown five innings in either of his two starts.

Ray, on the other hand, has been brilliant in two starts for the Giants, two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He’s coming off a win over his former team, the Seattle Mariners, during which he pitched six innings, gave up four hits and a run while walking five. He struck out two.

The Yankees will start right-hander Will Warren (0-0, 6.00) on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. against Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks (1-0, 2.38).

Warren is making just his eighth career MLB start. In his last appearance against Pittsburgh, he lasted just four innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs. He walked one and struck out five. He gave up one hit in five innings in his first start of the season.

Hicks is coming off a no-decision against Seattle in which he threw 5.1 innings and gave up six hits, three earned runs and one walk. He struck out five.

Sunday’s finale, set for 1:35 p.m., will see the Yankees sent left-hander Carlos Rodón (1-2, 5.19 ERA) to the mound against Giants right-hander Logan Webb (1-0, 1.89).

Rodón has lost his last two starts, pitching six innings in each one. In three starts he’s tossed 17.1 innings, giving up 11 hits, 10 earned runs and nine walks. He’s also struck out 20.

Webb has only one win in three starts, but he’s given up just four earned runs and three walks in 19 innings. He has struck out 21 and has pitched seven innings each of his last two starts.