Coming into spring training, the New York Yankees expected to roll out one of the league’s strongest starting rotations come opening day. During the spring, three of their top starters went down to injury, with ace Gerrit Cole undergoing Tommy John surgery, reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffering a lat strain, and Clark Schmidt suffering rotator cuff tendonitis. After a shaky start to the season, the starting rotation boasts a 5.46 ERA, the worst in baseball. With Schmidt expected to return to the rotation sometime this week and Marcus Stroman heading to the injured list, the Yankees face more questions about the state of their rotation.
Off to a Rough Start
The Yankees’ starters have gotten off to a league-worst start through the first 14 games of the season. The Yankees currently rank sixth in earned runs allowed, seventh in total runs allowed, and second in walks allowed. As it stands presently, Max Fried is the team’s only starter with an ERA under five, as he has posted a 1.56 ERA in three starts. Carlos Rodon looked strong on opening day but has since struggled with walks in his last two appearances, earning a loss in both games. Meanwhile, Will Warren has looked promising but has struggled to pitch deep into games. In addition, Carlos Carrasco has struggled to limit runs, suffering 3 earned runs or more in all three of his appearances this season. Most recently, on Friday night, Marcus Stroman tied his career shortest start as he lasted 0.2 innings against the San Francisco Giants, letting up five runs.
Questions Continue to Surround the Yankees’ Rotation
With Stroman heading to the 15-day injured list with knee inflammation after his poor start on Friday, the decision of what to do with Warren and Carrasco at the back end of the rotation will remain unanswered. Schmidt will slot into the third spot in the rotation, and Warren and Carrasco will have added time to prove they belong at the big league level. If Warren continues to show promise, the team may feel inclined to let him develop at the big league level instead of keeping Carrasco around for his experience.
The Yankees also announced that Luis Gil will begin a throwing program in the coming days as he looks to return from a lat strain. Gil’s return date isn’t yet, but the team expects him sometime around the beginning of July. Once Stroman and Gil return, there will be no place for Warren and Carrasco on the roster. There is a possibility one of the two could show enough to push Stroman out of the rotation, as his contract contains a conditional player option that is triggered by him reaching 140 innings pitched this season, and the Yankees attempted to move him during the offseason.
The Yankees could also look to add an arm through the trade market as the season goes on. Teams discussed pitchers such as Sandy Alcantara, Dylan Cease, and Luis Castillo in trade talks during the offseason, and they could still move if another club is willing to meet their steep asking price.
Main Photo Credits: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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