The New York Yankees have been unable to catch a break to begin this very important month of July. They’ve lost five games in a row, which has caused them to lose their grip on the American League East. Now, another one of their starting pitchers is going down with a serious injury. At the beginning of the season, it was thought that the Yankees would have one of the best rotations in baseball, which carried them to the World Series in 2024. However, this year has been tough in terms of injury news. Gerrit Cole is lost for the entire season, and Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, has yet to throw an inning.
Clarke Schmidt Likely to Miss Remainder of Season With Tommy John
After being removed from his last start in the third inning with right forearm tightness, it is now expected that starter Clarke Schmidt will miss the remainder of the 2025 season with a torn UCL.
Manager Aaron Boone announced the news on Saturday before the team’s second game of a three-game set against the New York Mets.
Here is the Heavy.com official news report:
“Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Schmidt (forearm) will likely need Tommy John surgery, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports. Schmidt landed on the injured list Friday after injuring his forearm during his start Thursday against Toronto. The 29-year-old righty is currently seeking a second opinion, but early indications point to him requiring surgery, which would put an end to his season and possibly keep him out for all of 2026 as well.”
A Brutal Blow for Schmidt/Yankees
Truly a brutal blow for not only Schmidt but also the New York Yankees’ rotation. New York will certainly have to target a starting pitcher now at Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. And an even tougher hit for Schmidt, who has certainly had some trouble finding his footing at the big-league level after being one of the Yankees’ prized prospects.
He was in the midst of another impressive season. Schmidt had a 3.32 ERA in 78.2 innings and 73 strikeouts to go along with it. He had kinda solidified himself as the Yankees’ third-starter option with Gil being out, and Marcus Stroman missing time on the Injured List. Schmidt had a 2.85 ERA over 16 starts in 2024. The 29-year-old will now have to wait a full calendar year before pitching again and could be out longer than that.
This puts the Yankees in a really sticky situation, as they just don’t have enough quality starters to expect to be successful. Aside from Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, the rotation gets real thin from there. Will Warren will have to step up, but he hasn’t been that effective this season. New York will also likely have to call another arm up to settle things down, or until the Yankees can find a replacement.
The Yankees advanced to the World Series last season, mostly backed by a strong starting staff and an impressive bullpen. Both of those aspects have been a nightmare this season, and New York has until July 31st to figure it out.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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