Clarke Schmidt Shut Down For 3-4 Weeks
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Players just started reporting to spring training this week, so naturally the Yankees already have their first injury. Clarke Schmidt suffered a common extensor strain near his right elbow (throwing arm), a diagnosis that came from team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad. The injury is apparently uncommon for pitchers, according to manager Aaron Boone, but Schmidt will indeed have to discontinue throwing for approximately 3-4 weeks in order to start a throwing program pain-free.
Last year during spring training (pre-Covid), Schmidt was the talk of the town as the new up-and-comer in the Yankees’ system. Then again in summer camp, Schmidt garnered even more attention during intra-squad games. I was very excited to see Schmidt snap breaking balls past the league’s best sluggers for years to come. It was unclear as to the timeline on a possible promotion, but he appeared ready for The Show.
Schmidt got the call to the big-leagues during the 2020 season, but not to join the rotation. He only pitched a handful of major league innings, which you can chalk up to the weirdness of the 2020 season. In all reality, he would have probably remained in the minors if the season was not scrapped by the pandemic.
Due to his current injury, it is a given that Schmidt will start the 2021 season at Triple-A. If he is able to recover and make the necessary improvements to his game, we could very well see Schmidt pitch in the Bronx this season. When that happens, I will be just as excited as last summer. Ultimately, his slider is just too good of a wipeout pitch to keep in the minor leagues.