After a long stretch on the 60-day injured list, New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt is another step closer to a return from his right lat strain injury, just in time for the postseason. Schmidt was initially placed on the 15-day back on May 30. Thankfully, on Sunday, August 18, Schmidt will participate in a batting practice session, which will be his final session before a likely rehab assignment set for August 22, according to the Yankees' official list of injuries and roster moves.
The 28-year-old was enjoying one of his best seasons before having it cut short at the end of May. In his five May starts, Schmidt carried a 1.82 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, striking out 33 in 29.2 innings.
Earlier in the month, manager Aaron Boone said he expected a potential Schmidt return by the end of August. That timeline has been pushed back.
The Yankees are already in a favorable position as baseball's postseason draws near. They hold a half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, and no team in baseball has more wins (48) against teams with winning records. Further shoring up their starting rotation with a mid-September return from Schmidt would be a big boon for the Bronx Bombers.
Clarke Schmidt's pending injury return will strengthen Yankees' pitching staff
Schmidt would give New York a six-man rotation. In the postseason, someone will have to drop to the bullpen. The likely candidates to take a step back are Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman. Gil has fared best of this trio this year but may need a workload limit after working back from Tommy John surgery over the last two seasons.
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Cortes has been getting tagged frequently since the All-Star Break. In a five-start stretch from July 11 to August 8, he allowed 36 hits and 24 earned runs across 23.1 innings pitched. That bad skid ballooned his ERA from 3.41 to 4.42 in about a month. The Pinstripes have enough offensive firepower to win any game, but big blow-up pitching performances are momentum-stoppers in the playoffs.
New York is also on track to have INF Jon Berti and bullpen RHP Cody Poteet back sometime in September. Both players will further bolster the depth of their 26-man roster for a proper playoff run.
The Yankees, jockeying for an AL East crown, the AL pennant, and their first World Series crown in 15 years, will require Schdmit's return to provide them with their full arsenal of arms.
