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Yankees Star Pitcher Scratched Ahead of Start vs Rays

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 3, 2025 11:23 AM ET

The New York Yankees have seen a ton of injuries take place this season, and it has hurt them on the field.

Ahead of their matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees have scratched starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt. Schmidt has been dealing with soreness in his left side this week, undergoing an MRI.

According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Yankees are simply playing things safe with Schmidt to avoid anything serious happening.

"He underwent an MRI that came back clean. He pushed to pitch, but the Yankees are playing it safe. He’s scheduled to start Tuesday against the Padres."

Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his start today after dealing with soreness in his left side this week. He underwent an MRI that came back clean. He pushed to pitch, but the Yankees are playing it safe. He’s scheduled to start Tuesday against the Padres.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 3, 2025

This is certainly not the news that anyone around the Yankees wanted to see, as the team is already down some pitchers. Schmidt hasn't been able to put together a great season thus far for New York, but he is a trusted pitcher for them.

For the year, he has pitched in three games, posting an ERA of 5.52. It has been tough sledding for the right-hander, but it seems that he might have dodged a major bullet with this injury.

The hope is that Schmidt can make his next start against the San Diego Padres, bypassing any injured list time. The Yankees are being cautious, and they believe this is the best course of action moving forward.

New York sits with a record of 19-13 on the season, so they have been able to navigate some injuries to players. The Yankees are already without star Gerrit Cole for the year, so any other pitching injuries could see this staff fall apart.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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