The New York Yankees are once again staring at a brutal pitching dilemma.
With Clarke Schmidt just recently working his way back and veteran Marcus Stroman sidelined, the rotation is looking thinner than anyone could’ve imagined heading into the season. And it’s not getting better anytime soon — Luis Gil is still at least six weeks away from beginning a serious ramp-up to return to the team.
Yankees dealing with a Stroman problem they didn’t expect
Unfortunately, Stroman’s injury situation might be a blessing in disguise for the Yankees.
The 33-year-old starter, expected to be a stabilizing veteran presence, has looked completely off his game in 2025.
Across just 9.1 innings and three appearances, Stroman has stumbled to an 11.57 ERA, an ugly number backed by equally concerning peripherals.
He’s striking out just 6.75 batters per nine innings, walking another 6.75 per nine, and holding a disastrous 43.2% left on base rate.
His once-elite ground ball numbers have taken a hit, sitting at 42.4%, and his declining velocity — something that’s been trending downward for two years — hasn’t helped.
Boone hints at lingering issues with Stroman’s health
Manager Aaron Boone didn’t sugarcoat Stroman’s situation when speaking to reporters this week. He’s playing catch but no ramping up at all.
“Some irritation that won’t leave,” Boone explained. “We’re trying to look at everything.”
In other words, Stroman isn’t close to ramping up. And the Yankees, based on the early returns, might not even be in a rush to get him back on the mound unless something drastically changes.
Should the Yankees consider moving on from Stroman?
At this point, the Yankees have little incentive to push Stroman past the 140-inning mark that would trigger his 2026 player option.
It’s painfully obvious that unless he miraculously turns things around, they’re not going to want him back at a high price next season. His contract is one of the few things keeping him around right now, but the Yankees may be forced to get creative if his struggles continue and their rotation remains in crisis mode.
In the meantime, the Bombers are left leaning heavily on the arms of youngster Will Warren and veteran Carlos Carrasco — two pitchers with obvious limitations but at least some ability to give them innings.
Yankees need a spark from somewhere — and fast
With Gerrit Cole still working his way back from injury, the Yankees’ pitching situation feels a bit like trying to fix a leaky roof during a rainstorm.
Every game matters, especially in the brutal American League playoff race, and they simply can’t afford to let the Stroman situation drag them down any further. The focus must be on getting healthy bodies back — and giving opportunities to pitchers who can actually get the job done.