Clarke Schmidt, the New York Yankees relief pitcher, transformed into a full-time starting pitcher this year to accommodate himself into the five-man rotation. He was promoted to the rotation last season itself in the wake of injuries to Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon.
That being said, while Clarke Schmidt had an excellent start to the season that too in the absence of ace Gerrit Cole, he eventually fell prey to the injury bug that wreaked havoc amongst MLB pitchers this year. Meanwhile, with season entering its final phase, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided a positive injury update on Schmidt.
Clarke Schmidt To Aim For A Return Before The End Of August
In the midst of a euphoric start to the 2024 season, the New York Yankees lost starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt to an injury. He was a part of the five-man rotation that scripted history with a scoreless streak. However, fate had a challenging period in store for Clarke. He picked up a lat strain injury in May and has been on the injury list ever since. His absence left a notable void in the rotation, as Schmidt had been showing signs of developing into a reliable starter. Interestingly, his performances earlier in the season had given the Yanks a reason to believe he could be a cornerstone of their pitching staff. In 11 starts, he owned a 2.52 ERA with a 5-3 record.
However, a lat strain ruined the momentum altogether. Having said that, in the latest development, Clarke Schmidt threw a live BP session on Tuesday and reported no setbacks or discomforts at all. He is scheduled to have another go on Saturday, and after that, the team will take a call on whether to let Schmidt build up with a third BP session or place him on a minor league assignment to wrap up the final stage of recovery. Regardless of what the management decided, Yankees manager Aaron Boone and the starting pitcher himself acknowledged that a return to the mound before the end of August cannot be ruled out. The final week of August is the precise timeline the team is working on to achieve at the moment. Meanwhile, while the rotation is full, Schmidt is reportedly open to embracing a bullpen role if needed.
Yankees Jose Trevino Close To Rehab Assignment
Meanwhile, Jose Trevino, the New York Yankees catcher, is expected to begin a rehab assignment as early as this coming Sunday. Trevino was sidelined last month with quad strain injury and his recovery pace is much quicker than previously anticipated. However, if Sunday’s timeline is missed for some reason, Trevino will definitely play a rehab game on next Tuesday.
On the other hand, veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo was seen hitting off the pitching machine on Tuesday. However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had no timeline to offer on Rizzo, who is recovering from an arm fracture injury. The first baseman has been ruled out since June, with prospect Ben Rice playing as an everyday first-base starter in Rizzo’s absence.
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