Scenes from Yankees' dugout after Carlos Rodón implosion vs Braves weren't good

The New York Yankees completely imploded against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, their second such non-competitive effort in as many days. That's now 15 runs from two starting pitchers in Luis Gil and Carlos Rodón.

Is the sky falling? No. The Orioles got trounced by the Astros. The Blue Jays and Red Sox also lost. Plus, Gil has been incredible this season and Rodón has bounced back admirably after an awful campaign last year.

But Rodón needs to be careful, because we saw his emotions get the best of him in 2023 (something he admitted as well). And that certainly contributed to his downward spiral — blowing kisses at Yankees fans in Anaheim and turning his back on pitching coach Matt Blake didn't help him in the public eye.

But as Rodón looked to rebound from his stinker at Fenway Park on Saturday, Friday's start against the Braves got off to the worst possible start. The left-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits (two homers) in the first inning.

By the time the night was over, Rodón lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits and two walks in an 8-1 loss. And then he was crying in the dugout.

Scenes from Yankees' dugout after Carlos Rodón implosion vs Braves weren't good

Emotional expression is part of the game, and certainly more widely accepted in the modern era, especially after it's been discouraged for so long. But crying after a bad regular season start? Come on, this is something that'll never go over well with the camera on you and the Yankees in the midst of their worst stretch in 2024. The Yankees need more guys like Juan Soto, who can take the hits, acknowledge how tough the game is, and move on to the next day.

Not only that, but embattled Yankee Gleyber Torres had to console Rodón. Torres probably isn't the veteran player fans want to see pick up struggling peers. Though he's been through it, he hasn't figured out a way to escape his own grave he dug for himself. His ability to persevere is non-existent.

Prior to the tears, Rodón was seen mouthing off to an assistant coach. We don't know who it was or what it was about, but again, it's not going to help the current precarious situation.

Rodón's been so good up until his last two starts. He's maintained his composure. He's labored through some tough outings. He's even been dominant at times. We'd just hate to see it all come crashing down because of a few meltdowns on the field and in the dugout.

It's the middle of June. The Yankees are still in first place and have the best team in MLB. The time for spiraling (or at least the potential image of spiraling) is not now. Save it for August if the front office decides to stand pat at the trade deadline and injuries start to mount while the team's performance continues to slip. If there's any time to roll with the punches and stay strong, it's right now.