The New York Yankees have won three consecutive series and appear to be over their mid-season slump. Clarke Schmidt has been on the injured list with a right lat strain, which has hampered the pitching staff. Manager Aaron Boone has issued an update on the starter, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.
“Aaron Boone and Clarke Schmidt said it’s realistic that the pitcher will return by the end of this month,” Phillips said on X, formerly Twitter. He continued: “Clarke Schmidt added that he’s open to a bullpen role if needed.”
Schmidt was in the midst of a great season when he was hurt. With 11 starts, he has a 2.25 ERA and a 162 ERA+. The stability at the end of the rotation helped the Yankees get off to a great start. On the day Schmidt made his final start, they had a 37-18 record, tied for the best in the American League. Since then, they’ve dropped to 30-28.
The injury occurred at the same time Gerrit Cole returned to the rotation. The Yankees only needed Cody Poteet for a few starts in the interim. Schmidt can chew up critical innings down the stretch and in the playoffs, whether he’s in the starting rotation or the bullpen. At the trade deadline, the Yankees acquired righties Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos, thus a different starter may be assigned to the bullpen.
The Yankees’ starting pitching must improve if they want to win the World Series. Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman all have ERAs above 4.00. Stroman has struggled, with a 6.32 ERA in 47 innings across his last ten starts. Schmidt’s return provides the Yankees with much-needed depth in their rotation.
Following their deadline deals, Tim Hill is the only left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. While Leiter has performed well against lefty hitters, another lefty pitcher is required for the playoffs. Cortes, a lefty, has failed to provide length for the Yankees as a starter.
