Yankees Adding New Pitcher to Starting Rotation

Following the news that right-handed starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt will likely undergo Tommy John surgery, the New York Yankees are turning to one of their top prospects in hopes of stabilizing their rotation.

According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, the Yankees are planning on recalling right-hander Cam Schlittler from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and having him make his MLB debut on either Tuesday or Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners.

New York's rotation has suddenly thinned following injuries to Schmidt and Ryan Yarbrough, who was placed on the 15-day IL with an oblique strain on June 22. Per Sherman, the veteran left-hander is in line for a return in August rather than some time this month.

Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, is working his way back from a lat injury that's kept him out since spring training. He'll provide a major boost when he's ready to rejoin the club, with Sherman adding that he could be activated anywhere from the beginning of the second half through the July 31 trade deadline.

For the time being, though, the Yankees will rely on Schlittler to turn in some valuable innings as they look to keep pace in a competitive AL East.

A seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Schlittler posted a 2.82 ERA over 15 appearances between Double-A Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He's had issues with his command in the minor leagues, evidenced by a career walks per nine rate of 3.8, though the 24-year-old has also struck out 11.2 hitters per nine.

Schlittler's most recent outing was his worst of the season, as he allowed six earned runs across 2 1/3 innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on July 2.

Standing at 6-foot-6 with an explosive fastball that can reach into the high-90s, he'll look to bounce back with a strong performance in his big league debut vs. Seattle this upcoming week.

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