New York Yankees’ pitching prospect Clarke Schmidt is a big part of the future of the organization. That is why the club decided to proceed with extreme caution the moment they found out that he was dealing with an elbow issue, a common extensor strain to be more specific.
Thankfully, the Yankees’ pitcher himself told reporters in late February that his elbow injury is considered minor and he expects to be back soon. The organization had good news to report on that front on Tuesday.
According to ESPN’s Marly Rivera, Schmidt is getting closer to begin a throwing program, as Yankees manager Aaron Boone told her. Having Schmidt back soon would be huge for the Bombers, as he will need at least some more Triple-A innings to fully develop as a hurler.
In fact, if everything goes well with his elbow, Schmidt could be an option for the Yankees’ big team sometime before the summer, but he will need to be healthy and dominate Triple-A hitters, as there is currently no room for him in the rotation.
The Yankees can afford to let him heal properly
Gerrit Cole is the ace, and will be followed by Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, and Jordan Montgomery in some order. Deivi Garcia and Domingo German are having an intense battle for the Yankees’ fifth spot in the rotation, with the latter perceived as the leader as things stand right now.
It’s good to know that the symptoms have gone away. However, the Yankees will still need Schmidt to fully ramp back up before even considering him.
As things stand right now, the most likely scenario has Schmidt starting they year on the injured list, as Opening Day is just a couple of weeks away and there is no time for him to be an option for the opening wee. However, the organization as a whole is excited about his rapid recovery.