Carlos Rodón gives Yankees fans ghastly World Series PTSD with Opening Day play vs. Brewers

The New York Yankees finished their 2024 season with a Game 5 World Series defeat that packed 12 different types of misery into the fifth inning, which began with a 5-0 lead and ended with jaws through the pavement.

Even after Aaron Judge's dropped fly ball and Anthony Volpe's awkward dish to third, the Yankees still had a chance to escape unscathed, with Gerrit Cole striking out Shohei Ohtani with a flourish for the second out. Unfortunately, then came the Fall Classic's inflection point; Cole pointed at Anthony Rizzo on a grounder, no one covered first, and the Yankees' lead was quickly history.

Imagine if that disastrous Cole play came complete with a pitcher injury? It very nearly happened on Thursday when Carlos Rodón took off for first base against the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day, but never got there.

Sal Frelick hit a squibber towards Paul Goldschmidt, who was slightly further away from the bag than Rizzo was last fall. Rodón, late in his break, did eventually make it to first, but missed the base with his toe.

Instead, he flipped, falling to the ground dangerously and failing to record the out. Rodón, somehow, finished the inning and went back to the dugout apparently unharmed, but ... man, how did that possibly happen in back-to-back games at Yankee Stadium with five months in between?

Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón had an awful Opening Day play at first base that evoked bad World Series memories

Thankfully, the next two plays served as a stark reminder of everything the Yankees have changed since the Fall Classic concluded. They've refocused on defense, and recorded the final two outs of the frame on an athletic Jazz Chisholm play (that Gleyber Torres might've struggled to complete) and a beautiful Rodón play, thanks to a hop off the mound with catlike quickness.

In fact, Rodón was catlike twice in the inning. After all, as I understand it, cats always land on their feet, even after falling from awkward heights. Rodón may have physically rolled over and given every fan a scare, but at least he got up and rolled over the remaining two Brewers batters himself.