Clarke Schmidt's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) expects to make his first minor-league rehab start on Friday, likely for Double-A Somerset. Schmidt is set to throw around 50 pitches in what should be the first of multiple rehab outings in the minor leagues, and if all goes well on his assignment, he could return to the big leagues during the second week of September. Before heading to the shelf due to a strained right lat, the 28-year-old upstart right-hander was one of New York's top pitchers, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings (11 starts). Once Schmidt is back in the mix, it'll be interesting to see if the Yankees opt to employ a six-man rotation or move one of their current starters into the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw 25 pitches to teammates in his second live batting practice session on Saturday and said it went "really well." Schmidt will have another session on Wednesday and will throw around 30 pitches. General manager Brian Cashman has previously said that Schmidt should begin a rehab assignment later next week around Aug. 22, which puts the hurler on track to return to the major leagues around the second week of September. Before he went down with a strained lat, the 28-year-old upstart right-hander was one of the New York's top pitchers, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings (11 starts). When he returns, the Yankees will likely either decide to roll with a six-man rotation or consider transitioning Nestor Cortes or Marcus Stroman into a long-relief option for the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw a live batting practice session ahead of Tuesday's postponed game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Schmidt threw 20 pitches on Tuesday and will toss another live session on Saturday, indicating that he could go on a minor-league rehab assignment soon thereafter. The 28-year-old upstart right-hander hopes to be back on the mound for the Yankees sometime before the end of August, but his absence could extend into early September, depending on when his assignment begins. When he strained his lat, Schmidt was one of the Yankees' top pitchers while going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. Upon his return, New York could opt to employ a six-man rotation or move the struggling Nestor Cortes Jr. to the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw a 20-pitch session from a bullpen mound on Saturday and did not have any setbacks, according to manager Aaron Boone. This was the first time the 28-year-old had been on the mound since hitting the injured list in late May. Boone expressed that "everything went well for him" during the session. This is a great sign, as this was a significant step in the recovery process. Schmidt has held a solid 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 20:67 BB:K ratio across 60 innings this season. The right-hander will likely need to log several more bullpen sessions before embarking on a rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should expect Schmidt back in the big leagues sometime in August if he continues to progress well.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will throw off the mound for the first time on Saturday and will go around 20 pitches in a bullpen session. Schmidt expects to be fully built up by the end of the season. The 28-year-old was placed on the 15-day injured list back on May 30 and is finally able to get back on a mound due to a strained right lat. He'll eventually need a minor-league rehab assignment, but barring a setback along the way, Schmidt should be able to return to the Yankees' big-league pitching staff at some point in August. However, depending on the health of the team's starting rotation upon his return, Schmidt might be forced to build up his arm in the Bronx in a bullpen role. He was looking good in 11 starts this year before his injury, posting a career-low 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 67 K's and 20 walks in 60 2/3 frames.