Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Pitches well but takes loss
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Schmidt (2-5) took the loss against Baltimore on Thursday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four batters over five innings.
Schmidt had to work hard to get through five frames, as Baltimore fouled off 26 of his offerings, resulting in the hurler tossing 97 total pitches. Aside from that, it was a pretty smooth start for the right-hander -- he allowed just one extra-base hit and one run while keeping the ball in the park for his third straight start. However, the Yankees' offense couldn't solve Kyle Gibson, causing Schmidt to take his fifth loss. There was some thought earlier in the campaign that Schmidt could be pushed out of the rotation upon the return of Luis Severino, but he's pitched well enough recently to keep his spot, allowing two or fewer runs in four of his past five starts. When Severino returned last weekend, it was Jhony Brito who was optioned to the minors.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Six strikeouts in win
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Schmidt (2-4) earned the win Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings during a 6-2 win over the Reds. He struck out six.
Schmidt posted five scoreless frames to start the game, but he was pulled in the sixth after allowing back-to-back hits to begin the inning. Both baserunners came around to score, but the Yankees bullpen held the lead and helped the right-hander earn his second win. It was a solid bounce-back outing for Schmidt, who allowed a season-high seven runs to Tampa Bay last time out, but he still holds a 6.00 ERA across 45 innings and has allowed three more home runs (eight on the season) than he did in 29 appearances (57.2 innings) last year.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Tagged for seven runs
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Schmidt (1-4) took the loss Sunday, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings against the Rays. He struck out five.
Schmidt had been solid in his previous two outings, allowing just two earned runs in his last 10.1 innings. He struggled Sunday, however, allowing a run in the first inning and another two in the third before the Rays posted a five spot in the fifth. Schmidt now has a 6.30 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP and 48:14 K:BB through nine starts (40 innings). The 27-year-old Schmidt may not stick in the Yankees' rotation for long with Luis Severino (lat) nearing a return.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Pitches six frames
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Schmidt (1-3) earned the win Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings against the Athletics. He struck out seven.
Schmidt made it six innings for the first time all season, fanning seven batters and allowing just two runs to earn his first win. However, Schmidt's trouble with power sustained, as he gave up a solo home run to Jordan Diaz in the fourth inning, marking his eighth long ball allowed in as many starts. Though Schmidt will likely find himself on the outside looking in on the Yankees rotation once Carlos Rodon (back) and Luis Severino (lat) return from the injured list, he should remain a high-risk, high-reward streaming option given his high strikeout rate (10.95 K/9).
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Can't get through fifth
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Schmidt did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and two walks over 4.1 innings during a 4-3 win over Cleveland in extras. He struck out four.
Both of Schmidt's first-inning runs were unearned due to a fielding error by Anthony Rizzo, but the right-hander was still shaky and got pulled in the fifth after allowing a one-out single to Jose Ramirez. Schmidt has given up multiple runs in each of his first seven starts this season and has yet to complete more than six innings. His 5.83 ERA and 1.70 WHIP need work, but his 36:9 K:BB through 29.1 innings is encouraging. He'll look to find a rhythm during his next start, which will likely come during a three-game set versus Oakland.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Rocked again
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Schmidt (0-3) took the loss Friday, allowing five runs on 10 hits and one walk over five innings against the Rangers. He struck out eight.
Schmidt made it through five innings for the second consecutive start, but the ight-hander was shelled and his hits and earned runs allowed were both season highs. Schmidt did collect eight strikeouts and is up to 32 punchouts in 25 innings. However, his ERA is a disappointing 6.84.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Shows improvement in loss
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Schmidt (0-2) took the loss Sunday, allowing three runs (all unearned) on three hits and a walk over 5.2 innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out eight.
Schmidt held the Blue Jays off the board through five innings Sunday, setting down the first 13 batters faced. However, he unraveled in the sixth following an Anthony Volpe error, allowing three runs on back-to-back home runs from Vladimir Guerrero and Daulton Varsho. Still, the outing was a step in the right direction for Schmidt, who figures to remain in the Yankees' rotation until Luis Severino (lat) and Carlos Rodon (forearm) are ready to return. The 27-year-old Schmidt lowered his ERA to 6.30 with a 1.55 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB through five starts this season.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Handed first loss Tuesday
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Schmidt (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and struck out five over 3.2 innings while taking the loss against the Angels on Tuesday.
Schmidt's struggles continued into Tuesday's start. He kicked off the game by allowing a leadoff double to Taylor Ward and then served a hanging breaking ball to Shohei Ohtani that found its way into the right-field seats for a quick 2-0 deficit. The 27-year-old ran into more issues in the fourth, allowing two doubles and a single to give the Halos a 4-0 cushion. Schmidt's numbers through four starts are less than ideal. He now sits at an 8.79 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB over 14.1 innings and is showing major vulnerability against lefties so far, as they are hitting .412 against him. Manager Aaron Boone said after the game that Schmidt is still sticking in the starting rotation for now. The team is working to get back Luis Severino (lat) and Carlos Rodon (forearm) from the IL.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Continues to struggle
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Schmidt allowed three earned runs on six hits over four innings in Wednesday's win over the Guardians while walking one batter and striking out three. He did not factor into the decision.
Wednesday marks Schmidt's best start of the season so far, although that isn't necessarily saying much. The 27-year-old righty has now allowed 10 earned runs over 10.2 innings across three starts. He's still been able to strike batters out at a rate of 9.3 K/9, but so far he has provided little fantasy value as a member of the Yankees' rotation.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Escapes with no-decision Friday
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Schmidt didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Orioles, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out three.
It was another shaky outing for the right-hander, who needed 84 pitches (53 strikes) to record only 10 outs and put more strain on the bullpen. Schmidt has yet to complete the fourth inning through two starts this season, and his 9.45 ERA suggests the only thing keeping him in the Yankees' rotation is the team's lack of healthy alternatives.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Shaky beginning to 2023
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Schmidt didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Giants, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over 3.1 innings while striking out five.
While the K:BB was strong and he generated 12 swinging strikes among his 76 pitches, three of the five hits off Schmidt went for extra bases, including homers by Joc Pederson and Brandon Crawford. The latter's long ball chased the right-hander from the game. Schmidt's starting role is fairly secure for now given all the injuries in the Yankees' rotation, but he'll need to find a way to keep the ball in the park to avoid getting bumped once other pitchers get healthier.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Dominant in spring start
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Schmidt tossed five perfect innings against Pittsburgh in a Grapefruit League game Thursday, striking out seven batters.
Schmidt needed just 50 pitches to complete five frames in the exhibition contest, throwing 36 strikes while not allowing any baserunners. He mixed in four different pitches -- including his recently developed cutter -- as he furthered his case to be part of the Yankees' rotation this season. Schmidt is expected to be in the rotation for at least the start of the campaign while Carlos Rodon (forearm) works his way back, and the 27-year-old Schmidt could stick as a starter permanently if he gets off to a strong start.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Likely to break camp in rotation
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Schmidt is likely to open the season in the Yankees' rotation following the injury to Carlos Rodon (forearm), Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
The Yanks had already lost Frankie Montas to shoulder surgery and now will be without Rodon for at least most of April due to a forearm strain. It means an elevated role for Schmidt and also cements Domingo German as a member of the rotation, if he hadn't already been. Deivi Garcia is also a candidate to potentially see some starts. Schmidt was excellent last season while being used almost exclusively as a reliever, holding a 3.12 ERA and 56:23 K:BB over 57.2 innings. He has plenty of starting experience in the minors, of course, and has been stretched out this spring. The Yankees might also seek pitching help from outside the organization as their depth is tested.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Opens spring in dominant fashion
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Schmidt tossed two perfect innings against Atlanta in a Grapefruit League game Sunday, racking up five strikeouts.
Schmidt is vying to be the Yankees' fifth starter to begin the regular season, and he made a resounding statement toward that goal in his first spring appearance. The right-hander threw 20 of 31 pitches for strikes and mowed down five of the six batters he faced. It's always wise to take spring training performances with a grain of salt, but Schmidt's outing bears more than typical significance because he heavily tested out the new cutter that he developed during the offseason. Per Statcast, Schmidt threw the pitch 11 times Sunday after not deploying it at all last year. If the early results (and his health) hold up, Schmidt could finally live up to the potential the Yankees saw when they used a first-round draft pick on him in 2017.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Adding cutter to arsenal
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Schmidt developed a cutter during the offseason, and he hopes the pitch will help him be more effective against lefty hitters, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.
The directive to develop the new pitch came from the organization and was predicated on the belief that the cutter could come easily to Schmidt given the natural cut and high spin rate on his four-seam fastball. Per Joyce, metrics on the pitch have looked good when Schmidt has thrown it during bullpens, and the right-hander said he already feels comfortable deploying it. If the cutter proves to make Schmidt more effective against left-handed batters, it could help him win the fifth-starter spot in the rotation to begin the campaign, as he's currently competing with Domingo German for the role that is up for grabs due to Frankie Montas' impending right shoulder surgery.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Could see early starts
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Schmidt is a candidate to spend the first month of the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, with Frankie Montas out until at least May due to shoulder inflammation, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
The Yankees have yet to announce their plans and could still bring in another arm from outside the organization, but unless that happens, the competition would appear to be between Schmidt and Domingo German. Schmidt outpitched German in terms of ERA (3.12 vs. 3.61) and FIP (3.59 vs. 4.43) last season, though all but three of the former's appearances came as a reliever. German, by contrast, started 14 games while appearing just once in relief.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Healthy again
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Schmidt (foot) made two appearances during the Yankees' four-game series with the Red Sox over the weekend, covering two innings while allowing four earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one.
After he was removed from his Sept. 18 relief appearance in Milwaukee due to a foot injury, Schmidt received a few days off before the Yankees made him available out of the bullpen. The right-hander was hit hard in his return to action Thursday, as he allowed four of the seven batters he faced to reach base to squander a 3-0 lead. The Yankees eventually came back to win Thursday's contest, and Schmidt rebounded in another high-leverage opportunity Saturday, retiring the side en route to notching his third hold of the season. He should remain an integral part of the Yankees bullpen during what's left of the campaign.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Exits Sunday's matchup
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Schmidt was removed from Sunday's game against the Brewers in the bottom of the eighth inning due to an apparent foot/ankle injury, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Schmidt allowed two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out four in 2.1 relief innings Sunday, and he was hit by a comebacker with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. He immediately exited the game but was able to walk off the field under his own power. It's not yet clear whether he'll require a trip to the injured list.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Works out of bullpen
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Schmidt struck out two and scattered two hits and one walk over three scoreless innings in relief Thursday in the Yankees' 4-3 loss to the Twins.
After making a pair of starts, Schmidt moved back to the bullpen Thursday with Nestor Cortes (groin) making his return from the 15-day injured list. However, because Cortes wasn't fully stretched out following his stint on the IL, Schmidt ended up piggybacking him in what essentially ended up being a tandem start. Cortes shouldn't face any major limitations the next time his turn in the rotation comes up, so Schmidt will likely serve as a more traditional multi-inning reliever for the foreseeable future.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Allows two runs in loss
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Schmidt (5-4) took the loss Saturday against the Rays, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out two and walking none over 4.1 innings.
Despite allowing no walks and four hits, Schmidt picked up the loss thanks to a Yandy Diaz two-run single in the third inning that would turn out to be the winning runs for the Rays. This was Schmidt's third appearance this season as a starter, although he may be called upon to start more games with Nestor Cortes on the IL. Schmidt seems to have a short leash for the Yankees as a starter, which limits his fantasy upside.
