Spring training has already brought some bumps and bruises for the Yankees, but there’s finally some good news on the injury front. According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, both reliever Jake Cousins and starter Clarke Schmidt are making strides in their recoveries and could be back in action sooner rather than later.
Cousins Ready to Ramp Up
Cousins arrived at camp nursing a forearm issue, but the 30-year-old right-hander is about ready to start ramping up his pitching program. That’s an important development, considering how valuable he was out of the bullpen last season. In 38 innings, Cousins posted a 2.37 ERA with 12.55 strikeouts per nine, using a nasty slider-sinker combo to generate swings and misses.
The Yankees don’t need him ready for Opening Day, but they’ll want him in the mix as soon as possible. His ability to miss bats and limit damage makes him one of their most intriguing relief arms heading into 2025.
Schmidt on Track to Face Hitters
As for Schmidt, he’s trending in the right direction after dealing with a cranky back earlier in camp. He threw a two-up side session on Tuesday and is expected to face live hitters this weekend.
Schmidt has had his fair share of injury issues, missing a chunk of 2024 with a lat strain that held him to just 85.1 innings. But when he was on the mound, he was one of the Yankees’ most effective arms, finishing with a 2.85 ERA and career highs in strikeout rate (9.81 per nine) and left-on-base percentage (80%).
A Key Piece in the Rotation
The Yankees know Schmidt has the arsenal to be a major factor in their rotation. The question has always been health and consistency. If he can stay on the mound and build on what he showed last season, he could be a crucial stabilizer in a group that already features Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Luis Gil and Carlos Rodón.
With both Cousins and Schmidt trending in the right direction, the Yankees are getting some much-needed reassurance that their pitching depth will be ready when the season begins.