Yankees' Clarke Schmidt Update is Only Mildly Encouraging

New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt has been sidelined since last July after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he is expected back this month.

Schmidt was actually supposed to make his return in August, but he had a bit of a setback which changed his timeline.

The good news? Schmidt made his first rehab start last week, so he is trending toward a return. The bad news? His comeback does not appear to be imminent.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an update on the right-hander Tuesday, and while Boone sounded encouraged, it's clear that Schmidt still needs some time.

“I thought he looked pretty good the other day,” Boone said. “He gave up two runs, and gave up a home run, but he looked good, and his live [bullpen session] looked really good too. I’m encouraged where Clarke’s at.”

Boone added that Schmidt still needs to make "at least a couple, a few more" rehab starts before he can actually re-join the big-league club.

Considering that the regular season ends on Sept. 27, that really does not leave a whole lot of time for Schmidt to get ready.

New York's bullpen is in dire straits right now. The Yankees did not acquire any relief pitchers as the MLB trade deadline, and recently, Fernando Cruz was lost for the year due to a partial UCL tear.

Couple that with the fact that Ryan Weathers — who was expected to head to the bullpen eventually — is out with an elbow injury, and New York is in near desperation mode.

The Yankees have brought in veterans Michael Fulmer and John Schreiber to help stop the bleeding, but Schmidt's impending return is vital.

Schmidt started for New York from 2023 through 2025, but he pitched out of the bullpen in 2022 and did a fine job.

Of course, that was four years ago, and with Schmidt having such an extensive injury history, you do have to wonder how he'll fare in his return.

Now 30 years old, the former top prospect is certainly not the frontline starter that the Yankees were initially expecting, but perhaps he can carve out a role as a reliable late-inning option going into the future.

Right now, though, New York just wants Schmidt to be healthy and ready for October. We'll see if that happens.