Even with the numerous injuries the Yankees have faced this season, they still hold the best record in the American League. This suggests that when those players return, they’ll be even better positioned to claim the AL East title.
Specifically, the Yankees have struggled with their starting pitching recently. Gerrit Cole hasn’t been performing at his usual level, and the rest of the rotation hasn’t stepped up to fill the gap. Fortunately, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are both close to making their return to the mound.
Revamping The Rotation
The return of these two young pitchers is crucial for the Yankees, even if one or both are assigned different roles. Schmidt, who has been recovering from a lat strain since May, has already made two minor league rehab starts. Although he might be ready to pitch again, the team is exercising caution with their young right-hander and could keep him out a bit longer as a precaution. As for Gil, he’s recovering from a back strain that landed him on the 15-day IL earlier this month. After making one rehab appearance, the AL Rookie of the Year contender is set to make another rehab start on Sunday.
Clarke Schmidt retired nine straight batters to begin his first start on MLB Rehab Assignment #RepBX @Yankees
3️⃣.2️⃣ IP | 1️⃣ R | 1️⃣ H | 1️⃣ BB | 6️⃣ K pic.twitter.com/wBp02LAGyX
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) August 23, 2024
Clarke Schmidt's rehab in Scranton: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K
His final K of the outing came on a failed ABS challenge from Travis Blankenhorn pic.twitter.com/D4Nf5Q0Xur
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 29, 2024
Both pitchers are likely to be on strict pitch limits, especially with rosters expanding in September, which gives the Yankees some extra flexibility with their bullpen. Nonetheless, having these two young arms back in the rotation will be vital to New York’s postseason push.
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