The New York Yankees were depending on Clarke Schmidt to be a big piece of their rotation, but now he “likely” will have Tommy John surgery, according to manager Aaron Boone.
How will the Yankees replace Schmidt?
Schmidt left his start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night after three innings and 55 pitches.
Schmidt would be the second Yankees starter to undergo Tommy John this year, with ace Gerrit Cole missing the season after having the surgery in March.
(Photo: New York Yankees / Getty Images)
NEW YORK — Now what? Manager Aaron Boone says Clarke Schmidt “probably” will have Tommy John surgery, despite the fact that the New York Yankees were counting on him to be a key member of their rotation. If so, he will miss the remainder of the season and probably the majority of next year as well.
In light of the July 31 trade deadline, how will the Yankees replace Schmidt? Should they acquire a starting pitcher or fill the position internally with a prospect like Cam Schlittler?
Even though the answers are unclear, Schmidt’s fate is clear.
Prior to Saturday’s game against the New York Mets, Boone stated, “I think it’s pretty much inevitable.”.
Whatever path he decides on, general manager Brian Cashman will not have an easy time replacing Schmidt. The 29-year-old right-hander has been among the Yankees’ more effective pitchers, particularly in recent years. In 14 starts, he had a 3.32 ERA and was 4-4. He pitched seven innings without giving up a hit against the Baltimore Orioles on June 21 and had a 2.18 ERA over his prior seven starts.
After three innings and fifty-five pitches on Thursday night, Schmidt left his start against the Toronto Blue Jays. On Friday, he was put on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his right forearm and was to have an MRI. After ace Gerrit Cole missed the season due to Tommy John surgery in March, Schmidt would be the second Yankees starter to have the procedure this season.
Luis Gil (right lat strain) should return to the Yankees sometime after the All-Star break. The American League Rookie of the Year for 2024 ought to be a huge help. After the break, they also hope to see Ryan Yarbrough return from his oblique strain. Before suffering an injury, Yarbrough had a 3.83 ERA in eight starts.
However, Marcus Stroman, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón have a long history of injuries, and Will Warren is a rookie. There is still a possibility that the starting pitchers will become even more volatile.
The 24-year-old Schlittler, the Yankees’ No. According to Keith Law of The Athletic, there are eight prospects starting the season. He has made five starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA. He walks 3.4 batters and strikes out 13.3 batters per nine innings. Schlittler is probably their most major league-ready starting pitcher. Despite only making three Triple-A appearances, 26-year-old righty Brendan Beck has a 2.93 ERA. Despite Carlos Carrasco being Schmidt’s next rotational option, they probably don’t want to go back to the struggling veteran. In his only big-league start of the season, Allan Winans allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings, and he has a 0.90 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) at Triple A.
Regarding Schlittler, Boone stated on Friday, “He’s been really good.”. “He’s fascinating. He made a start for us late in the spring and gave us some great opportunities to see him frequently during spring training. He is truly amazed. He has arrived quickly. He has performed admirably and included himself in the mix with a strong Double A debut and a strong Triple A debut after being promoted. Although he had a difficult outing the last time, he is an exciting pitcher. “”.
Getting a top-tier starting pitcher could be challenging. Uncertainty surrounds who the Yankees would want to trade for and for whom, as teams vying for the best arms frequently sell off their premier prospects. George Lombard Jr., a pitcher. 20 years old seems to be their prospect who most closely resembles the “untouchable” seal. The Yankees recently promoted former top prospect Spencer Jones to Triple A, and they have a plethora of young arms they could try to trade.
The Miami Marlins’ righty Sandy Alcantara, who has had a difficult season but still appears to have the skills (97 points, 3 mph average fastball) to be a front-line starter, would probably be of interest to the Yankees. Alcantara has a $21 million 2027 team option and is contracted through the upcoming season.
Four starting pitchers were among the top ten players on The Athletic’s Big Board (version 1.0) of players available for trade before the deadline. Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers, Alcantara, Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Zach Eflin of the Orioles were among them.
The Yankees would be very familiar with righty Luis Severino, but the two years and $42 million left on his contract after this season will put off many teams. The A’s are reportedly “can’t wait” to trade him.
Gil’s return is likely to be viewed as a huge deal by the Yankees, who are unlikely to enter the deadline concerned that one of their best arms (Fried, Rodón) would be injured and need to be replaced. Of all the possibilities, it’s possible that the Yankees would look toward the middle or back end of the rotation for an upgrade.
Getty Images/New York Yankees photo.
