The vibes in Tampa were supposed to be about recovery, not new setbacks. Now, after Thursday’s injury news, all eyes are on New York Yankees surging pitching star Cam Schlittler. He’s the guy who saved the 2025 postseason, a 7th-round steal who suddenly started touching 100 mph when the lights got brightest. But today, the tone shifted.
Aaron Boone confirmed on Thursday that Schlittler is being shut down from mound work for a few days due to mid-back inflammation. While Boone played it cool, these injuries are no laughing matter. In my years covering this team, “minor back inflammation” in February has a funny way of becoming something more serious in April.
“(Yankees manager Aaron) Boone said (Cam) Schlittler has been dealing w/ some ‘inflammation’ in his lower back, so ‘we’re going to keep him off the mound the next few days.’ Tests were negative, Boone said, adding Schlittler will continue w/ his throwing program. Boone said it shouldn’t ‘slow him down too much.'”
Boone said Schlittler has been dealing w/ some”inflammation” in his lower back so “we’re going to keep him off the mound the next few days.” Tests were negative, Boone said, adding Schlittler will continue w/ his throwing program. Boone said it shouldn’t “slow him down too much”
With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon already slated for April or May returns after their respective elbow surgeries, and Clarke Schmidt recovering from his second Tommy John, the Yankees’ depth is almost non-existent. Schlittler wasn’t just a “nice to have” option; he was effectively a top-of-the-rotation option behind Max Fried for Opening Day.
I’ve watched too many “throwing programs” stall out to take Boone at his word here. Schlittler’s value comes from his violent, high-effort delivery—the same one that produced a historic 12-strikeout, 0-walk postseason gem against the Red Sox last October. If that back isn’t 100 %, he’s not just a risk for a velocity dip; he’s a risk for a mechanical collapse.
Mid-back issues for a 6’6” power pitcher can be a red flag. It limits rotation, and for a guy who relies on a high-IVB fastball and is trying to learn a new pitch, that torque is everything. If he can’t finish his pitches, that 2.96 ERA from last year will balloon faster than ticket prices at the Stadium.
Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
If Schlittler is forced to miss the start of the season, Yarbrough would likely take his place in the rotation. It sounds, however, that the Yankees are merely playing things safe with their wonderkid, and he should be ready for mound work well before Opening Day if there are no further setbacks and things go according to plan.
While Brian Cashman could potentially pivot toward a veteran trade target or a late-market stabilizer like Chris Bassitt, Schlittler’s back scare appears to be manageable for now. Still, it’s worth monitoring very closely because these injuries can escalate quickly.
