Clarke Schmidt’s return to the rotation earlier in April was supposed to be a turning point for the Yankees‘ rotation, but they might have even more issues with their staff. The right-hander was scratched from his Saturday start against the Rays with left-hander Ryan Yarbrough starting in his place, and while there isn’t any information on why he will be missing this start, the possibility of an injury is scary.
He was placed on the IL to start the season due to a shoulder issue that bugged him, and last season he missed a majority of the year due to a high-grade lat strain. As a prospect, Schmidt dealt with a myriad of injuries as well, and this begins to put his reliability for the 2025 season into question if he sustains another serious injury.
Ryan Yarbrough Starts in Clarke Schmidt’s Place, Yankees Yet to Reveal Why
Following a strong start against the Blue Jays, where Clarke Schmidt allowed one run with six strikeouts, the right-hander has mysteriously been scratched from his start against the Rays. The right-hander has had command issues in his three starts thus far, but he’s delivered two solid outings in those three and was poised to make a real impact in a rotation going through a slew of injuries.
He opened the 2025 season on the IL due to shoulder tightness that delayed his season debut to April 16th, and following injuries to Marcus Stroman, Luis Gil, Gerrit Cole, and JT Brubaker, their rotation depth is running seriously thin. In the scenario where this is a serious injury that requires an IL stint, the Yankees don’t have many options they can realistically turn to in the upper levels of their farm system who can provide relief.
Ryan Yarbrough will get the start today, potentially auditioning for a role as a starter in the scenario where Schmidt ends up missing time.
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Through 8 appearances this season, Yarbrough has pitched to a 4.11 ERA with a 24.6% strikeout rate, as the left-hander has been excellent since his blow-up outing against the Diamondbacks. His fastball may never exceed 90 MPH, but his stuff grades out well in Stuff+ (104) due to his funky arm angles and wide array of pitches. Yarbrough can move the ball in all kinds of directions and provide length in his outings, but the bullpen should expect to be taxed by the end of the game.
Yabrough has been a starter before with the Rays, who he made his MLB debut with back in 2018 and will face this afternoon in the Bronx. With the Yankees hoping for good news on Clarke Schmidt, this is an opportunity for the veteran left-hander to impress the front office and potentially earn himself a greater role on this pitching staff. Even if Schmidt’s scratch is due to something short-term or minor, a strong start could allow Ryan Yarbrough to get more rotation reps over Carlos Carrasco who has really struggled this year.
While editing this article, Clarke Schmidt revealed he has minor left side soreness and that he will make his start against the Padres on Tuesday.