Right-hander Clarke Schmidt has a tear in his UCL and will probably undergo Tommy John surgery, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Joel Sherman of the New York Post). Schmidt will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and will miss perhaps all of the 2026 season, given the usual 13-15 month recovery timeline for TJ procedures.
It is a worst-case scenario for Schmidt, who went on the 15-day IL yesterday with what was described as forearm tightness. Schmidt told reporters that he had been dealing with the issue for a month, which perhaps makes his recent performances all the more impressive. The righty carried a streak of 28 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in June but ran into trouble in his last two starts, when Schmidt allowed seven earned runs over nine combined innings against the Athletics and Blue Jays. In that latter outing against Toronto on Thursday, Schmidt was pulled after just three innings of work.
Rotator cuff tendonitis kept Schmidt from making his 2025 debut until April 16, but he’ll now wrap up his season with a 3.32 ERA over 78 2/3 innings. Though his strikeout and walk rates were nothing special, Schmidt did a very good job of limiting hard contact, and benefited from a .232 BABIP. That batted ball luck is reflected in Schmidt’s 4.24 ERA, but the 29-year-old did well to help stabilize a Yankees rotation that was already dealing with a number of injury issues.
Unfortunately, Schmidt now joins ace Gerrit Cole and reliever Jake Cousins as Yankee pitchers who have undergone a Tommy John procedure this season. In the bigger picture, this is the second TJ surgery for Schmidt, who also went under the knife in 2017 when he was still a college pitcher at South Carolina. He also missed a big chunk of the 2021 season due to an elbow strain, and missed about half of last season due to a lat strain.
Since this is Schmidt’s second Tommy John surgery, chances are that his rehab process will sit on the longer end of the usual timeframe. This means Schmidt might only be available for the very end of the 2026 season, and it is probably more likely that he isn’t back until Opening Day 2027. Schmidt is arbitration-controlled through the 2027 season, so the Yankees might consider a non-tender this winter and then look to re-sign the righty to a two-year deal with most of the salary pushed into 2027 when Schmidt is healthy.
In the shorter term, the Yankees now have to figure out how to address Schmidt’s rotation spot. Ryan Yarbrough (oblique strain) and Luis Gil (lat strain) should both be back after the All-Star break, with Gil set to make his 2025 debut after his own long-term injury absence. Between Gil and swingman Yarbrough joining Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Will Warren, that might be enough depth at the big league level for New York to remain comfortable with the rotation, plus Allan Winans and prospect Cam Schlittler are available at Triple-A.
There’s also the upcoming trade deadline as a possible avenue for rotation help, if the club decides some upgrades are necessary. The Yankees have some time to see how Gil and Yarbrough fare in their recoveries before deciding one way or the other, plus rival teams’ asking prices on any available starters are surely still very high here in early July. It is possible the front office might have felt compelled to add starting pitching even if Schmidt was still active, yet his loss only makes the rotation more of a need for a struggling Yankees team that is only 6-15 in its last 21 games.
It’s not what you want.
Yankees are up Schmidt creek without a paddle.
The Schmidt has hit the fan.
The Schmidt will become Schlittler
“Well, he’s just a tick off, but he’s been preparing for this moment. He just has to shrug it off and know he’s the best. His stuff is still good. He’s about to turn a corner”
It’s right in front of him.
Are there still people who want to say these types of elbow injuries have always happened, or are we going to have a serious conversation about the way guys are being taught to throw baseballs?
As David Cone says, guys are going to continue chasing velo because teams are going to continue seeking it. Even knowing the likely result (TJS), David says he would still chase velo if he had it to do all over again – it’s a very real issue, however.
Oof! TJS claims another victim. The demands of pitching these days really are testing the limits of the human body.
I don’t know, this one sounds like it was preventable. Started season late due to shoulder tendinitis, had TJS previously and said he was dealing with forearm tightness for a month? The mere mention of forearm and he should’ve gone on the IL. Continuing to pitch through it for a month is playing with fire.
you might be right, no excuse
16,
Maybe an earlier IL stint would have prevented this, or it may have just delayed it.
My larger point stands, pitchers are frequently bumping up against the limit of what the body can do.
They do it to themselves as they chase the big money. The so called pitching labs should be teaching them how to stay within themselves and not overthrow from the first pitch. This means not only velo but also spin rate, etc. I’m surprised MRI’s aren’t done every year for every pitcher with the lab’s experts and AI dissecting the arm and shoulder to try to develop a catered plan for each pitcher. Too much money invested for the teams to not do this. Starters need to pace themselves to go longer and pitch within limits. It’s only been a few years it seems that most now try to emulate a whiffle ball when such used to basically be limited to a few who threw the knuckleball.
Yes, they’re chasing the big money because no player wants to spend 15 years toiling in the minors.
Pitching labs help pitchers develop the skills teams want. If there’s going to be a concerted effort to change the goals, it has to come from MLB and the teams. That would mean every team agreeing to sacrifice some performance for health, and it’s obvious no one has found a way to reach that concensus, if such a thing is even possible.
Starters can’t pace themselves because that would mean throwing more hittable pitches, which would get them demoted or released.
Yes, it’s been in the last few years the Wiffle ball style has existed because teams, pitchers, and pitching labs have only recently learned how to achieve those results. Progress doesn’t necessarily make everything better.
gbs42; and the definition of insanity is?
19,
The state of being seriously mentally ill.
I would think teams and labs are trying different things, but the goal is to get batters out, and massive velocity and movement are the best known ways to achieve that.
Plus, if pitchers (throwers?) keep breaking, teams can just call up the next guy over and over again.
A long-term side “benefit” could be pitchers will rarely stay healthy enough to reach free agency, so it’s a financial win for teams by not having to pay FA pitchers.
MLBPA involvement is also needed.
gbs42: “That would mean every team agreeing to sacrifice some performance for health.”
Not very likely since that would be a form of collusion.
Unfortunately it is baked into the system at this point from very early in the game. Pitching camps; travel teams; high school coaches on up – they are focused on elite velo and spin rate. The young arms are just not ready to handle what one has to do in order to throw that hard and to develop the kinds of pitches that are in demand today.
The son of a friend is a HS pitcher; pinpoint command as a junior but not on track for much as his velo was 83MPH. Colleges were not looking at him at all, despite excellent results. A DII school lost interest and a DIII was his only option before his senior year. He was going to quit baseball after his senior year.
He came back this season and just dominated…still without real velo even though it ticked up a bit (duhh – these kids are still growing). Pitcher of the Year in his conference; the kid just knows how to pitch. Mixes things up; great command and everything moving. The DII school called and offered him some real money to play there so he will continue next year and beyond. Sure, the kid is a longshot to even hit the draft, but who knows as he gets bigger and stronger during his college years.
The point being is that the system is now all about tools, basically due to the saberdude era. Metrics are incredibly useful, but the by-products and consequences of the nit-witted conclusions by so many as a result of the metrics tools have been a major concern for the game of baseball.
Carver,
You had me nodding my head in agreement until talking about the “saberdude era” and “nit-witted conclusions.,” as if bad decisions are their exclusive territory. How about scouts who evaluated players by how they looked in jeans, or how cute their girlfrlend was? People make bad judgments for all sorts of reasons – always have, always will.
Metrics and scouting should be used hand in hand, together, not in opposition and one should not exclude the other. The “Moneyball” era highlighted the irrefutable fact that OBP and SLG are much bigger factors in run scoring than BA. Scouting can inform teams how a player conducts himself on the field, how he handles success and adversity, whether his approach is likely to lead to future success.
Again, humans are making the decisions, and if they’re not considering all the information, that’s on them, not the information itself. You’re saying that at the end with the “conclusions” teams are coming to, so I just wanted to defend the data itself.
@gbs – Read it again…it is all about the conclusions. The data is simply that – data. Having more data and figuring out ways to interpret it is all to the good as long as one doesn’t get buried in it.
So yes – it is what the human beings do with the data that has been at issue. However, what you probably won’t like in my answer is this – the takeover of a large number of front offices by the saberdudes (at the behest of ownership that is always looking to spend less for the product) is the biggest issue when it comes to the human side of the decision-making approach.
The saberdude mindset belongs in the C-Suite – it is akin to the accounting department. in a way. The information is crucial and a backbone for every decision, but it is a rare accounting person that I want sitting in the big chair making final decisions as they simply don’t have the depth and breadth of experience and insight to see the big picture. Saberdudery is a tool, but give me the person that has been around the game itself for decades to decide how to run the show.
Carver – thanks for the response, and I understand your concern. I tend to get a bit defensive when people get dismissive of stats and information, which is how I (incorrectly) interpreted the term “saberdude.”
I also have issues with almost exclusively Ivy Leaguers in quarter-zips running everything like it’s a financial transaction. And I have issues with guys like Joe Morgan and John Kruk who view Moneyball perspectives with disdain, especially since Morgan was an excellent example of a Moneyball player. A blend of the two seems like such a simple solution, but stubbornness and arrogance (from both sides) often make that more difficult than it should be.
The moneyball era didn’t go deeper enough into those OBP or slugging stats to understand the value, while the Keith Laws of the world proved their uselessness by ignoring value in run producers and destroying a model Blue Jays organization in scouting and development.
You can defend the data. We can also point out the Ivy Leaguers that never played nor factor real human elements have played a big role in the destruction of the game and overvalued meaningless stats like WAR. I’m watching the Blue Jays score runs thanks to BA – actual bat to ball skills Moneyball neglects. And that’s why they won’t win Championships.
@GBS – Well, I lean old school scout vs. saberdude (despite a, gulp, Ivy League background – but I haven’t worn a blazer in years). I truly value the metrics as an available tool and, sure – Krukker is into his shtick far too often – he is all about the campy krukkerisms. Things that annoy the heck out of me however:
* Manfred jerking around with the game as if he knows how to fix everything (the ghost runner is an abomination).
* The saber mentality that led to a one size fits all approach to talent and development (everyone needs to yank and crank; 3 true outcome baseball; the devaluation of the rest of the hit tool; all pitchers should throw “this pitch” e.g. high fastball, sweeper, etc;
* The total emphasis on max effort and velo…hence, pitcher injuries are pandemic level
* Total de-emphasis on small ball, hitting singles; two strike approaches and deciding that K’s are just like any other out.
These and other tunnel-visioned approaches have led us to a game that lacks action. Sit in any stadium and listen – a simple steal, or a bunt that moves the runner, or good defensive work and so on and the crowd is into it. They want something to happen…anything to happen in order to enjoy the game. Games with very little hitting, 6 walks; 27 K’s and a home run or two are snoozers.
And this is mostly due to the over-emphasis on the saberdude mentality. “The numbers tell me that there is a .07% greater chance of scoring a run if we don’t try to move the runner rather than if we try to knock a HR” made them conclude that let’s only build HR hitters to the exclusion of everything else (as a very rough analogy).
Carver,
Don’t get me started on the numerous issues I have with Manfred..
I totally agree today’s all-or-nothing game is much more boring than when I was a kid and Vince Coleman (and his low OBP) was stealing 100 bases a year. Efficiency does not always mean better.
it’s,
I’m not sure what you mean by “didn’t go deeper enough.” OBP and SLG aren’t useless. In fact, they correlate better with run scoring than BA:
community.fangraphs.com/when-slugging-percentage-b…
to the point that the triple-slash line basically could be reduced to a double-slash line, and the player’s contributions to scoring would be just as well demonstrated:
blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/tom-tangos-triple-…
I can’t comprehend the dismissive description of WAR as an “overvalued meaningless stat.” You don’t have to like or use it, but it’s a good (though certainly imperfect) first estimate of a player’s value. It’s far more useful than looking at a player’s Triple Crown stats, for example.
The Blue Jays are 4th in BA this season, 3rd in OBP, 14 in SLG., 11th in OPS. OBP is more important than SLG, and BA is a significant component of OBP. There are lots of ways to win ballgames, but to say BA is more important to OBP or SLG? I disagree, as do the data.
You didn’t read what I said properly, but ok. I’ll use the example of Daulton Varsho – an analytics darling. Blue Jays are showing they are a better team without him. Would the same be said about Vlad? No. Why? Because he hits the baseball.
Yet you want to continue to say WAR is meaningful, and claim BA is not as important as OBP. A walk with a runner on second base with less than two out is not better than a base hit. That is fundamental baseball that stat needs cannot comprehend. OBP matters, Slugging matters, and so does BA. It is ignorance to say that I said BA is better than the other categories. I didn’t.
“It is ignorance to say that I said BA is better than the other categories. I didn’t.” Well, since you’re arguing its utility and the others’ “uselessness,” I inferred you think BA is better.
Vlad is a better player than Varsho – both by traditional and modern stats – so I would expect he would have a greater impact on the Blue Jays’ success. Varsho is a much better defender and baserunner, so I don’t think the talent gap is a great as Triple Crown stats indicate. Also, Vlad has a 50:54 BB:K ratio this season, enhancing his .very good 279 BA and leading to an excellent .383 OBP.
The argument that a hit is more valuable than a walk with a runner on second and under two outs is inarguably true. This “star ne(r)d” can understand the fundamental nature of the situation. It’s also a limited circumstance that often fails to recognize that limitation. Overall, OBP is of greater importance to run scoring than BA, though not in all circumstances because there are few absolutes in baseball or elsewhere.
OBP is not of greater importance than BA. You can have an OBP of .500 and score zero runs so let’s stop that crap. If you said OPS, sure. Then again, empty power is a thing; a guy hitting low .200 BA with an OPS near .800. You’d say “WOW”, rather than break down when those homers were hit to land that .800 with lots of outs. That homer down 9 counts the same as breaking a tie. You are pitched differently in those scenarios. Same thing applies to BA and OBP. A guy hitting over .300 is still impressive over the long haul, whereas guys that run into a walk or take a walk to put on the force does not come close to the impact of a base hit or an extra base hit.
OBP absolutely is of greater importance than BA. From the first article I linked:
“I looked at every team from 1914 through 2015 — the entire Retrosheet era, encompassing 2,198 team-seasons.”
Correlation coefficient between a team’s runs per game and:
OBP = 0.890
BA = 0.812
SLG = 0.867
OPS: = 0.944
Someone with an OBP of .500 would score a TON of runs, so let’s stop that crap.
If empty power is a thing, so is empty BA. When a player gets a hit is just as likely to be meaningless as when a player hits a homer.
In a large majority of situations (but admittedly not all), hitting .300/.330/.380 is not as good as hitting .250/.350/.450.
BA is a subcomponent of both OBP and SLG, telling less about what the batter accomplished in most (but admittedly not all) situations.
The demands haven’t changed in the history of the game. Only thing that has changed is the lack of ability to actually pitch and the over reliance on making everyone try to throw 100mph on every pitch (though I’m sure someone somewhere will blame the pitch clock)
“the over reliance on making everyone try to throw 100mph on every pitch”
That’s exactly the demands I’m talking about.
A generation ago, pitchers didn’t have to throw 100-mph fastballs and breaking balls that move like Wiffle balls to make the big leagues.
Go back 2-3 generations, and pitchers could cruise through the lower third of the order. Now almost every hitter is capable of hitting one over the fence.
Athletes have gotten better, and the demands on their bodies have increased.
Maybe it’s time then to check the ball and go back to Ash bats. While players are stronger, it’s more than that. MLB wants offense but in changing the game so much (base size, pitch clock, ghost runner putting immediate pressure on the extra inning reliever, etc.), it’s helped ruin many pitchers.
What is this? The old man yells at cloud thread? lol
No it’s the objective and debating of how to make pitchers last more and bring in alternatives to what is not working. You don’t have to be old to see this is not working.
I think there are still enough bad hitters who get themselves out even without having to go full throttle on every pitch and make everything spin.
Do change up’s stress the arm? Is anyone out there able to throw a knuckleball?
According to his interview on International Talk Jose Trevino claims he throws a pretty good one…
The weights in the weightroom are anoher problem. Teams build for strength but not for flexibility. They have the same weight rooms in the minor leagues, too, and hope the female occupational therapists who dress in anorher room can “work out the kinks in their muscles”. It’s BS. No massage therapist will get rid of rhe most common batters injury these days…. The “lat strain”. But a little less weight and a lot more flexibility regiment ( yoga…. Ugh) would go a long way.
@freddiemeetgibby,
Have I ever told you that when I was your age Hershey bars used to cost a nickel?
imiss,
Do you know teams aren’t focusing on flexibility as well as strength? It’s quite possible they’re emphasizing both.
Darn it anyhow. Is this is 1st TJS?
I think he was recovering from TJ surgery when they drafted him, but I may be wrong.
This is his second, before 30yo too. Tough luck! Come back strong Clarke W. Griswold!
I thought so, thanks
Nate Evaldi has done pretty good after two procedures…
No, 2nd. I think he was recovering from 1 when they drafted him.
If you read the article it said it was his 2nd 🤦🏻♂️
Reading is hard.
Then how do you do it, Susanna?
I do it by reading the article, of course. 🙂
@Gocubs. When I read it initially it had just one paragraph with “more to come…”
@Brew88 ok fair that’s my bad then
No worries GoCubs
bummer. I was worried when I read “forearm tightness” yesterday…
Another reason to promote Lombard before this year ends. It would be tragic if Cashman feels the need to trade him for pitching help. Yes, the GM FOR LIFE is that shortsighted.
Lombard is not ready yet- hitting .205 in AA at Somerset currently.
Lombard is definitely not major league ready, nor is Joey Gallo Jr AKA Spencer Jones
Craven: LOVE the new profile pic… haha.
I’m in my villain arc officially 😈
This news puts the 2nd place Yankees into even more trouble.
HEY! They’re in first place in their own minds, confirmed by their own internal proprietary statistical analysis.
Clipper I have to think the Yankees are on the phones trying to get in-front of the deadline (and the all star break) to make a deal. As a Jays fan I am hoping they beat the Yankees to the punch on that, as they could use a SP and at least a bullpen arm to prepare for the post-break gauntlet in their schedule.
At least the Yankees are willing to make the bold move to bolster their team, good or bad.
They are? I haven’t seen any bold moves for a long time. A bold move for the Yanks is Cashman signing a guy on waivers. These are not your Daddy’s Yankees!
Yeah, I’m sure Cashman and crew are all over that. Where Cashman often fails is his innate desire to “win” the trade, despite team needs.
The Jays seem to be heating up and I would not be surprised to see them finish strong. They smelled blood in the water with the Yankees and they went for the throat.
Also, you guys have to be happy that Springer finally looks healthy. Man, I hate facing that guy.
It wasn’t happening seconds after the Achmidt injury but thanks.
He’s been outstanding (Springer). But the big impact that has been unexpected is Clement, Lukes, Barger and the recent recall of Schneider. What was the big question mark hitting-wise has been a strength since Memorial Day. A right handed platoon bat could be a nice addition.
Well, I guess we’re about to find out if Sandy can pitch in NY, hell for that matter, if he can still pitch at all. Ahahahahahahaha!
ScHlITtler! Either he’s in the rotation soon or gets traded for a starter.
I totally read this as a weird play on Schmidt’s name until I saw the other article on the pitcher named Schittler. He has a poop and a genocidal dictator mashed together in his name.
Was gonna say good thing they didn’t trade Stroman, but looking at the numbers, NYY was screwed either way (yes, he’s looked better his last two outings)
That really sucks Yankee fans, but I think we all saw it coming. Time for Stroman to step up and be at least a quality starter the rest of the way.
This season is beyond abysmal.
You got DJ LeMahieu who shouldn’t even be on a Major League roster rn playing 2nd base, which moved Jazz Chisholm to 3rd where he struggles. But hey, seniority is more important than winning, right Boone and Cashmam?
Then they have the shell of Giancarlo Stanton at DH who looks even more washed up since his return.
But at least there’s the strong bullpen… right? Oh wait….it’s the same bullpen that has been blowing close games like Charlie Sheen smoked white. Oof.
Then of course you have a clueless manager who should have been fired in 2022 who doesn’t hold players accountable, doesn’t develop young hitters and doesn’t enforce baseball fundamentals. Mix that in with his lack of judgement in terms of decision making (especially with regards to his bullpen) and you have an absolute clown show in the Bronx.
. . . and the Yankees now enter the Mitch Keller Sweepstakes.
Since this is the new normal, maybe its time to have players just hit off tees. No called balls or strikes, games will be much shorter and there will be more offense. Oh, maybe not shorter then. But no more hit by pitches, no more batting helmets, no more catchers, lower payrolls, and no more plague of arm injuries. Ok collective bargainers! Get it done. Tee ball for everyone.
He was doing so well hate to see it.
From what I read earlier, he has had a tight forearm for a month. What? Just proves denial is not just a river in Egypt.
Have to figure he’s out all next year as well. Sucks.
Another cherry on top of the 2025 Bronx disaster sundae.
Aside from the awful defense, anemic hitting and a bullpen that has been blowing 1 run games…there’s no reason to panic, right?
🙂
Fear not, Boone will undoubtedly say the team is ready to turn the corner!
Bad for him and bad for the Yankees, but beyond that, the near-universality of Tommy John surgery for pitchers is bad for the game. It’s not a matter of if but when. Fans can’t root for great pitchers anymore, because just when you get into them, they go away for a year-and-a- half.
Brutal. Makes you wonder what the Yankees approach will be at the trade deadline. Do they reload and pursue starting pitching? Do they throw in the towel and sell? I can’t imagine it’s the latter but if they continue to struggle over the next three weeks, the prudent thing would be to sell.
At some point this isn’t sustainable for baseball. Not sure if the genie or chasing stuff is ever going back in the bottle though
Time for them to clean house at the executive and managing level. I have been saying this for weeks – they need a major shakeup! Feel bad for Clarke.
Hell yes. Finally, Todd.
When it rains, it pours. There are way too many guys facing this surgery, and it’s a real shame. Good luck, Clark, from coming back. Pitchers over and over again are facing surgery, and they don’t even pitch over 200 innings anymore.
whelp
a lonely nation turns its eyes to carlos carrasco
Bring back Cookie, Trashman. Our savior before the season goes down faster than the Titanic.
That giving away of JP Sears is really biting them in the butt now
Too many bad trades by Cashman
Super unfortunate. As if the Yanks didn’t already need SP.
Feeling comfortable about a rotation with Stroman and Warren in it?
🤔🤨🧐
Blessing in disguise if the Yankees avoid trading Schlittler at the deadline.
As far as Schmidt goes, Yankees havent played so well since pulling Schmidt from the no hitter and the requisite BS explanation from Boone for doing so, introduce your BS into the locker room and it breeds contentment and ultimately suspicsion and malcontent.
Schmidtt’s on the rack for the entire ’26 season, and the Yankees momentum has been lost completely. It will be difficult to get it back rolling with Schmidtt out.
Schmidt told reporters that he had been dealing with the issue for a month, which perhaps makes his recent performances all the more impressive.
No. All the more stupid.
Well… Yankees were really good at the end of June. They win the halfway point trophy.
Combo deal of severino and infielder luis arias from oakland makes sense, cheapy fisher would have to eat chunk kf cash for it to be somewhat enticing
Combining Schmidt’s, Cole’s, Gil’s, and Cousins’ innings pitched and earned runs allowed from last season, they threw to a 3.32 ERA. Tough to lose all that quality pitching. Granted, all except Gil threw low-inning totals.
Looking forward to seeing the Javian Sandridge Yankeeography after his sparking debut performance against the Mets-ies.
MLB has to find a way to reduce these TJ surgeries. It’s an epidemic how often pitchers are forced to have surgery to correct this issue. Maybe we need to go to machine pitch to stop this 😂 . Just joking about machine pitch, but seriously something has to change to reduce the amount of injuries to the players
Theres not a rule the MLB can implement that would make sense to reduce TJ, which is why you havent seen it. Throwing a baseball is an unnatural motion that puts wear and tear on a body, theres nothing you can do from a league standpoint. Suggesting they can do something is silly. Its up to the individual player to decide how they want to approach throwing the baseball
For starters, robot umps.
And that would fix the TJ epidemic how? Im for robot umps but thats not relevant. Kind of unsure if youre being sarcastic or not lol
I was watching him pitch a no hitter through 7 innings and the manager took him out since for some reason everyone thinks if you pitch over 100 pitches you risk injury. How did that work out?
Don’t think this number has anything to do with injuries since relievers also need TJ surgery.
Like to know how this number was chosen, why isn’t the number 122 or 73? Seems someone just said 100 is a nice round number and everyone agrees.