New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list. The 29-year-old has been dealing with shoulder soreness during camp. However, given that he has begun to slowly build up his workload, fantasy managers should not expect him to miss too much time. While Schmidt is sidelined, Carlos Carrasco will likely join the starting rotation. Last season, Schmidt logged 85 1/3 innings of work with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He tallied an impressive 93 punchouts but held a high 8.5 percent walk rate. He generated a 3.78 xERA with a .225 xBA, which suggests he may face some regression when he returns to the bump in 2025. Fantasy managers should consider stashing Schmidt on an IR spot on their roster, as he should provide stable ratios with decent strikeout production when he returns to the rotation.
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) could actually be healthy to start the 2025 regular season, but the New York Post's Greg Joyce writes that it still appears likely that Schmidt will begin the year on the injured list by Opening Day next Thursday. Schmidt threw two innings of live batting practice in camp on Thursday and didn't have any setbacks after he was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Monday due to right-shoulder fatigue. The 29-year-old is just not built up enough in terms of pitch count -- he threw only 32 pitches on Thursday -- in order to be part of the Opening Day starting rotation. The Yankees haven't made anything official yet, but the best bet is that Schmidt stays back in Florida to start the year to properly build up his pitch count to somewhere around the 70-80-pitch mark. As a result, both Carlos Carrasco and prospect Will Warren could open the year in the rotation.
Clarke Schmidt Throws Live Batting Practice On Thursday
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) threw around 30 pitches during a live batting practice session in camp on Thursday against the likes of Austin Wells, Dominic Smith, Pablo Reyes and Paul Goldschmidt, according to NJ Advance Media's Max Goodman. It's a positive step for Schmidt, but manager Aaron Boone already admitted that he won't be built up to 75-80 pitches for the start of the regular season next week. Especially after Schmidt missed three months in 2024 due to injury, the Yankees will likely play it safe and put him on the injured list to open the season. It means that the 29-year-old most likely won't make his first scheduled start of the year on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, Schmidt should be ready to make his 2025 debut in April, and he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him after a promising 2024 campaign, outside of his injuries.
Clarke Schmidt Won't Be Built Up For Full Workload For Start Of Season
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has admitted that right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) won't be built up to 75-80 pitches for the beginning of the 2025 regular season. The Yankees will likely be cautious with Schmidt early on, which could open the door for both veteran Carlos Carrasco and prospect Will Warren to begin the year in the starting rotation. The 29-year-old Schmidt has been hoping all along that he'll still make his first scheduled start of the year on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it's looking more and more likely that he'll stay back in extended spring training to get stretched out further. It's a disappointment for a pitcher that also missed three months in 2024 due to a right-lat strain, but barring a setback with his shoulder, Schmidt could make his 2025 debut sooner than later in April.
Clarke Schmidt To Throw Live Batting Practice On Thursday
The plan right now is for New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) to throw live batting practice in camp on Thursday, according to manager Aaron Boone. The skipper said on YES Network that Schmidt could be ready on Opening Day next Thursday, but that he "obviously wouldn't be built up" in terms of his pitch count. The Yankees will have to decide if they think it would be more beneficial for the 29-year-old to stay behind in Florida to build up his arm. Schmidt has been hoping to still make his 2025 debut on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but even if he does, he wouldn't be recommended in starting fantasy lineups in single-year or DFS formats. He also missed three months with a right-lat strain in 2024, but otherwise he took a big step forward in the Yankees' rotation. Schmidt is nothing more than a late-round flier in deep fantasy leagues, but he could end up being an excellent value pick if he's healthy.
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) said he feels good a day after throwing a 24-pitch bullpen session in camp. Although nothing has been announced, Schmidt could return to the mound and start Wednesday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt noted on Tuesday that he wouldn't be throwing bullpens if he was dealing with a serious injury, and he still is hoping he'll be allowed to make his 2025 debut on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old is firmly cemented in the Yankees' starting rotation (if healthy), although he probably isn't going to be a smart DFS play in his first start of the year if he gets the green light to face Arizona. Schmidt has the stuff to build on what was a strong 2024 campaign that was interrupted by a three-month stint on the injured list due to a right-lat strain.
Clarke Schmidt Feels "Great" After Bullpen, Still Hoping To Pitch April 3
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) said he felt "great" after throwing a 24-pitch bullpen session on Monday in camp while throwing all of his pitches. Schmidt added that he "wouldn't be throwing" if something major was wrong and still thinks that he'll be able to make his regular-season debut on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. "That's the goal," the 29-year-old said. He was originally scheduled to start a Grapefruit League game on Monday, but the Yankees are playing it safe after he didn't bounce back as expected after his last start. After all, they can't take any chances after already losing Gerrit Cole (elbow) for the year and with Luis Gil (lat) opening on the injured list. Even if Schmidt is ready to go for his April 3 start, fantasy managers may want to shy away in DFS contests for the fact that he may be on a short leash.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) won't make his scheduled spring training start on Monday. The right-hander will have his start pushed back after Schmidt experienced shoulder soreness. It doesn't sound like the organization plans to do any testing. Instead, Schmidt will still throw on Monday, so they'll likely wait and see how he feels after that. The Yankees can't afford to lose another starting pitcher with Gerrit Cole (elbow) already done for the season. For now, Schmidt should be considered day-to-day, but shoulder problems are always a concern for pitchers.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (back) allowed four hits and three earned runs across 1 2/3 innings during his spring debut on Tuesday. He tallied four punchouts and allowed one walk. Most of his damage was on a three-run shot by Baltimore first baseman Ryan Mountcastle in the opening frame. Schmidt was delayed during the start of camp due to a back injury. Even though he struggled in this outing, seeing him back on the mound suggests he remains on pace to make his scheduled regular-season debut on April 3. Last season, Schmidt posted a solid 2.85 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP across 85 1/3 innings of work. He tallied 93 strikeouts but held a modest 8.5 percent walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect the 29-year-old to serve as the No. 3 option in the rotation during most of the season with Gerrit Cole (elbow) set to miss the entire season and Luis Gil (lat) set to miss at least three months.
Clarke Schmidt To Make Grapefruit League Debut On Tuesday
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (back) is set to make his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees have been slow-playing Schmidt in spring training due to a minor back injury, but as long as he avoids any setbacks once he gets into game action, he'll have a shot to be part of New York's Opening Day starting rotation. The Yankees need the 29-year-old even more now, too, with the possibility that ace Gerrit Cole (elbow) needs season-ending Tommy John surgery. If he's good to go by the start of the regular season, Schmidt's first start of the year could be on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. If not for a right-lat strain that caused him to miss three months in 2024, Schmidt could have easily had a breakout campaign in the Bronx. He mixes his pitches well and induces a lot of weak contact. Schmidt is a nice deep-league target for rotation depth.
Clarke Schmidt
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Yankees
