Yankees decide on World Series starters for Games 2 and 3

LOS ANGELES — There was no doubt the Yankees, who had time to arrange their rotation as they wished, would begin the World Series with Gerrit Cole. 

There was more wonder about how the rest of the rotation would shake out, but the Yankees have settled on Carlos Rodon for Game 2 and Clarke Schmidt for Game 3. 

Rodon will get the ball Saturday, he confirmed, and will oppose Yoshinobu Yamamoto at Dodger Stadium.

The Yankees could have flipped Rodon to Game 3 in The Bronx — where Rodon has been a stronger pitcher — and bumped up Schmidt for the road start, but they elected against it. 

It will be Rodon, the $162 million man, for Games 2 and likely 6 in what has been an up-and-down postseason.

The lefty was too amped up for Game 2 of the NLDS in a loss to the Royals, bounced to throw six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Guardians before coming back in Cleveland for the Game 5 victory, in which he let up two runs in 4 ²/₃ innings. 

In 14 ¹/₃ postseason innings, he has struck out 22 but pitched to a 4.40 ERA. The Dodgers — who hit everyone well, to be fair — were the best offense against lefty pitching this season. 

The righty Schmidt has allowed two runs in 4 ²/₃ innings in both his October outings, first in Kansas City and then in Cleveland. 

Rodon and Schmidt, who could be followed by Luis Gil, will try to learn from how Cole attacks a lineup heavy in star power and bat power while excellent in plate discipline. 

“I think the challenge is trying to just be convicted to every pitch,” Cole said. “You’re not really sure what the opposition is going to do, and you know that they’re lethal when they do swing. So you’ve got to give every pitch a chance by fully committing to it.” 

Nestor Cortes, working his way back in a hurry from a left elbow flexor strain, came through his 28-pitch simulated game Tuesday feeling OK, manager Aaron Boone said. 

Boone was not ready to commit that Cortes would be on the roster, wanting to see how he felt Thursday.

If Cortes is added to the World Series roster, Boone said the team would “probably” carry 13 pitchers, which would mean a position player must be removed. 

Righty Clayton Beeter is with the team, likely on the taxi squad, and threw a live batting practice to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. 

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Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas (sports hernia), who was left off the NLCS roster, has a “really good possibility” of being added for the World Series, manager Dave Roberts said. 

Lefty Alex Vesia and power righty Brusdar Graterol, who also missed the NLCS with injury, are “trending in the right direction,” said Roberts, who added the club would have “more difficult conversations.” 

Roberts said there is “no possibility, none whatsoever” that Shohei Ohtani will pitch. “Thank you for asking.”