Yes, more damaged goods. But that good is a lot easier to stomach when they're a hyped-up prospect who is still just 25 years old. That's what we've got with Carlos Rodon, who appears to finally be at full health.
Through seven starts, Rodon's peripherals won't blow you away. His SIERA is 4.71, which is the highest he has had in a season in his career. But a closer look makes things look much cheerier.
Rodon's average velocity on his sinker is 94.1 miles per hour. That's up 0.9 miles per hour from last year and the highest it has been during his four seasons in the Majors. His changeup is buzzing in at 85.1 miles per hour, tying a career high, and his curveball is up a full mile-per-hour from where it was last year.
Rodon has also gotten good results (a 3.56 ERA) despite facing tough competition. Rodon has made 3 of his 7 starts against teams ranked in the top 5 in wRC+ against lefties -- 5 opponents have been ranked 12th or higher -- and none of his starts have come against teams ranked worse than 19th. Two teams in the Chicago White Sox' division rank outside the top 20, so better matchups should be coming his way soon.
Rodon's a guy who had a 3.75 ERA and 4.20 SIERA in his age-22 season and has been solid when healthy ever since, with a respectable number of strikeouts. It's possible he finally lives up to the hype soon, meaning his price may not be low for long.