Just hours before the New York Yankees were set to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of their series, fans were blindsided with the kind of news that makes a pitching coach’s heart skip a beat.
Clarke Schmidt, penciled in as the starter, was suddenly scratched with no immediate explanation. In a season where the Yankees’ rotation has already tiptoed through injury minefields, this had the feel of a developing crisis.
Not the Shoulder—Thank the Baseball Gods
The immediate concern? Schmidt’s shoulder—the same one that gave him trouble earlier in the year.
It was like seeing smoke from the same part of the engine that overheated last week. But by late Saturday morning, cooler heads prevailed.
The Yankees clarified that Schmidt was merely dealing with left flank soreness, not a recurrence of the shoulder issue. In fact, Schmidt himself reportedly told the team he was ready to pitch, but the club opted to play it safe and push his start to Tuesday.
Clarke Schmidt told reporters he is dealing with left flank soreness; he told the Yankees he could start today, but they have decided to push him back to Tuesday.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 3, 2025
Mild Case, Smart Call
That decision could prove wise. Flank soreness may not sound dramatic, but it has sidelined other players—Jazz Chisholm Jr., for example, ended up on the IL with a more severe case.
Schmidt’s, on the other hand, is considered mild. Think of it as a caution flag during a race, not a red light.
The Yankees are letting him coast through a couple of days to ensure he doesn’t pull anything worse.
Up and Down Since Return
Since rejoining the team a few weeks ago, Schmidt has logged three starts, covering 14.2 innings. The numbers aren’t dazzling: a 5.52 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, with 15 strikeouts sprinkled in.
He’s still shaking off the rust, trying to find rhythm in a role where consistency is everything.
With his next start tentatively set for Tuesday, all eyes will be on Schmidt’s mechanics—and his left side.
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