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.
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.
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…
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
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
This news puts the 2nd place Yankees into even more trouble.
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.