The New York Yankees' already formidable rotation is about to get even stronger. Left-hander Carlos Rodón is expected to make his season debut this Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Wednesday. Boone noted that the team is finalizing plans with the pitching staff, but Rodón appears ready to step back onto the big league mound.

"I think he's felt ready to go now the last couple of times," Boone said. "But to get him up over 80 pitches this time out, we wanted to do, and give him a third game. We feel like he's ready to go. Feel like he's been throwing the ball well. His stuff, he's starting to command his stuff well, and feel like he's ready."

Rodón, 33, hasn't pitched in the majors since last October's ALDS Game 3, where he struggled mightily, allowing six runs on six hits in just 2 ⅓ innings. That outing was a tough end to an otherwise stellar season, but it came with a caveat: he was pitching through an elbow injury. Shortly after the Yankees were eliminated by the Blue Jays, Rodón underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.

The recovery has been steady. Over three minor-league rehab starts this season, Rodón posted a 3.38 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 16 strikeouts across 16 innings. His most recent outing was a true test—he threw 85 pitches and worked into the seventh inning, showing the durability the Yankees need, even if the box score (five earned runs, two home runs allowed) wasn't perfect.

It's easy to forget just how good Rodón was last season. In 33 starts, he went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA (134 ERA+) and 203 strikeouts over 195 ⅓ innings. Those are ace-level numbers, and they're exactly what the Yankees are hoping to get back.

This is a classic case of the rich getting richer. The Yankees have barely missed a beat without Rodón—or Gerrit Cole, who is just a few rehab starts away from returning from Tommy John surgery. Heading into Wednesday's action, New York boasts an MLB-best 2.77 team ERA. Rodón will slot into a rotation already featuring Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers. The looming question is who will make way when Cole returns, but having too many quality starters is the kind of problem every team wishes it had.

With the best record in the American League at 25-11, the Yankees are firing on all cylinders. But the AL East race is tight—thanks to a hot stretch from the Rays, New York's division lead is just 1 ½ games. Rodón's return couldn't come at a better time.