Carlos Rodón finally stepped onto the mound for the New York Yankees in 2026, but his long-awaited season debut didn't go as planned. The left-hander, who missed the first month of the season recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur from his left elbow, struggled with command and control in a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Rodón lasted just 4⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two hits—but the real issue was his wildness. He walked five batters and threw just 43 of his 80 pitches for strikes. While his fastball touched 97 mph, showing flashes of his old self, the rust was evident.

The Yankees gave Rodón an early cushion. Aaron Judge launched his 16th home run of the season in the first inning, and Spencer Jones drove in José Caballero with an RBI single in the second to make it 2-0. But the lead wouldn't hold.

The Brewers struck back in the fourth. Rodón loaded the bases by walking William Contreras and Gary Sánchez, then hitting Andrew Vaughn with a pitch. After a force out, Garrett Mitchell delivered a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch moved runners into scoring position. Blake Perkins then lined a two-run single to center, giving Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.

Rodón was pulled after walking Contreras on four pitches to open the fifth. Jake Bird took over and kept the game close, but the Yankees couldn't regain the lead.

Then came the ninth inning drama. With the game tied 3-3, Brice Turang stepped to the plate against Yankees closer David Bednar. On the very first pitch—a curveball—Turang crushed a walk-off home run, sending the Milwaukee crowd into a frenzy. It was the Brewers' second straight walk-off win over New York, following Saturday's 4-3 victory in 10 innings on a sacrifice fly by Contreras.

For Rodón and the Yankees, it's a frustrating start to a season with high expectations. But with a rotation that remains one of baseball's best, there's plenty of time for the veteran lefty to find his rhythm and help New York make a deep run.