Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

New York Yankees Receive Encouraging Injury Update for Starting Pitcher

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Mar 17, 2025 10:54 AM ET

With spring training wrapping up for the New York Yankees, they finally received some good news on the injury front.

Recently, starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his next scheduled start with some shoulder soreness.

The news about the right-hander understandably caused some panic for the Yankees considering all the injuries they have suffered this spring, especially in the starting rotation.

With Gerrit Cole out for the season and Luis Gil likely out until July, the rotation couldn’t afford another player missing time.

Schmidt was reportedly having a hard time getting to where he wanted to be in terms of throwing the baseball, so New York played it safe and canceled his scheduled start.

The good news came after his bullpen session.

Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) threw about 24 pitches in the bullpen and said he felt good. He hopes to bounce back well and is working toward being ready for the April 3 start vs. Arizona.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 17, 2025

Seeing Schmidt still aiming for the April 3 start is good news for both him and the team.

The Yankees are will be relying on the young right-hander to be a featured part of the rotation. At 29 years old, Schmidt has shown some promise for New York that he can be a solid middle-of-the-rotation pitcher.

However, he missed a lot of time last year with a lat strain, something that is a concern. But in 16 starts, Schmidt totaled a really impressive 2.85 ERA and a 5-5 record.

If he can put a full season together with those numbers, the Yankees might be able to survive losing their ace.

Overall, it is good news that the right-hander is seemingly doing well, and the shoulder soreness doesn’t appear to be anything major as of now.

This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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