The New York Yankees could start the season with yet another starting pitcher sitting on the sidelines.
After some initial concern regarding his throwing shoulder, righty-starter Clarke Schmidt told reporters on Friday that he felt good, one day removed from tossing 32 pitches in live batting practice. However, Schmidt admitted that he could “handcuff” the Yankees early in the season due to his low pitch count.
The club hasn’t confirmed anything but it’s possible that Schmidt will begin the year on the IL to build up his stamina.
Schmidt got scratched from his scheduled start on Monday, citing discomfort in his throwing shoulder. The 29-year-old instead threw a cautionary bullpen session of roughly 25 pitches, after which he felt “great.”
“I wouldn’t be throwing if there was a concern of something major,” he told reporters, adding optimism that he’d be ready to start the club’s sixth game of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 3. Changing his tune on Friday, he acknowledged it would be tough to be ready by then.
Schmidt missed roughly three months of the 2024 season due to a lat strain. Upon returning, he finished the year with a 2.85 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 85.1 innings across 16 starts.
The righty hurler’s potential absence to start the season would mark the third major blow to the Yankees’ starting rotation. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, will miss at least three months of the season after suffering the same injury that Schmidt dealt with last year – a lat strain. Meanwhile, ace Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season.
“We’ve taken a number of hits in the starting rotation,” general manager Brian Cashman told reporters last week. “We certainly can’t afford to take too many more.”
On the bright side, Schmidt’s problem seemingly has more to do with stamina than it does with injury at this point, assuring that he’s steadily ramping up for his return to regular season action. Schmidt has pitched in just one spring game thus far, tossing 38 pitches across 1.2 innings and allowing a trio of earned runs off a three-run homer.
In the meantime, it seems inevitable that the Yankees will inject Will Warren and/or Carlos Carrasco into the starting rotation alongside Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman.
Warren, a 25-year-old righty who debuted with the major league club last season, has dazzled the organization this spring with an improved pitch arsenal and high-volume strikeouts (8.85 K/9). Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Carrasco has looked ten years younger on the mound, boasting a 1.69 ERA across five spring appearances.
