Clarke Schmidt was supposed to be easing back into action, testing his "cranky back" with a light bullpen session. The New York Yankees advised him to take it easy and avoid ramping up the intensity as a precaution. That was the plan-until he saw who was watching.
Yankees legend Roger Clemens had taken a seat to observe the young right-hander's session.
"They wanted me to throw a light pen today, and I was like, I can't throw light in front of the Rocket. So I might have put in a little more effort than needed," Schmidt told YES Network's Meredith Markovitz.
"But I mean, obviously, he's a legend, and I'll pick his brain as much as I can when he's around," Schmidt added. "I'm very thankful that legends like this come back around here, and we're able to learn so much from these guys."
One key lesson Schmidt should learn from Clemens is how to adjust offseason training after a deep playoff run. As a two-time World Series champion, Clemens knows the challenges of maintaining peak performance after a grueling season.
Schmidt admitted that the Yankees' World Series run disrupted his typical offseason regimen, which may have contributed to his lingering back issue.
"When you're playing an extra month and a half and you lose, you lose a month and a half of (offseason) throwing, and then it's kind of like, how much time do I want to take off? Because you feel really healthy at the end of the year," Schmidt explained. "I might have taken a little bit too much time off and then cranked it up a little bit too quickly on the progression. It's just constantly making adjustments. You don't really know what the best approach is until you experience it."
Despite the initial concerns, Schmidt felt good following the bullpen session and is optimistic about his progress.
"We'll see how it responds and just continue to go with the process," Schmidt said. "Obviously frustrating, but feeling good after that."
