The New York Yankees have won three straight series and appear to be out of their mid-season swoon. The pitching staff has been an issue since Clarke Schmidt hit the injured list with a right lat strain. Now, manager Aaron Boone has provided a status update on the starter, according to Gary Phillips from the New York Daily News.
“Aaron Boone and Clarke Schmidt said it's realistic that the pitcher returns before the end of this month,” Phillips posted on X, formerly Twitter. He added, “Clarke Schmidt added that he's open to a bullpen role if needed.”
Schmidt was in the midst of a stellar season when he got hurt. In 11 starts, he has a 2.25 ERA and a 162 ERA+. The stability at the end of the rotation pushed the Yankees to a phenomenal start. They were 37-18, tied for the best record in the American League on the day Schmidt made his last start. Since then, they are a measly 30-28.
The injury coincided with Gerrit Cole's return to the rotation. The Yankees only needed Cody Poteet for a few starts in between. Schmidt can eat valuable innings down the stretch and in the playoffs whether he is in the starting rotation or the bullpen. The Yankees added righties Mark Leiter Jr and Enyel De Los Santos at the trade deadline, so it might be a different starter headed to the pen.
Yankees pitching plans for playoffs
The starting pitching for the Yankees must be better if they want to win the World Series. Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman all have an ERA over 4.00. Stroman specifically has struggled, posting a 6.32 ERA in 47 innings over his last ten starts. The return of Schmidt adds depth to the rotation that the Yankees need.
After their deadline deals, Tim Hill is the lone left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. While Leiter has posted great numbers against lefty hitters, another lefty pitcher is a must for the playoffs. Cortes is a lefty and has struggled to give the Yankees length as a starter.
Cortes was also a trade deadline rumor at this year's deadline. The Yankees were trying to pry Jack Flaherty out of Detroit before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With just one year remaining of team control, it will make the most sense for Cortes to head to the bullpen and potentially be dealt in the offseason.
A September rotation of Cole-Luis Gil-Rodon-Stroman-Schmidt would be a great unit to finish off a division race with. The addition of Cortes to the bullpen not only gives them a lefty arm but also length and opener potential in important games. The entire pitching staff for the Yankees makes more sense with Schmidt back in the fold.
The Yankees will need great pitching to compete with the Orioles. Their additions of Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers make their rotation much deeper and fill their biggest need. The teams play three games at the end of the season that could decide who gets the bye and who plays in the Wild Card round. Starting pitching will play a key role and Clarke Schmidt will help in that push.
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