The New York Yankees saw a glimmer of hope in their struggling rotation on Wednesday night. Clarke Schmidt made a strong return to the mound, helping the Yankees secure a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium.
Schmidt, who had been sidelined with right rotator cuff tendinitis, pitched 5 ⅔ innings. He threw 73 pitches and allowed four hits and three earned runs, finishing with two strikeouts and two walks. Although it wasn’t a perfect outing, his performance was crucial for the Yankees, who are currently without key pitchers like Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Marcus Stroman.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed his satisfaction with Schmidt’s effort, noting that he exceeded expectations. "In the first, he’s up over 20 [pitches], so you’re like, you kinda go into the night, hopefully you get four [innings]," Boone said. "For him to almost get through six, to be that efficient and keep us right there, I thought it was a good night for him."
Schmidt faced some challenges early on, giving up a run in the first inning and later allowing a triple that tied the game in the fifth. Despite these setbacks, he maintained a positive mindset. "Very aggressive from them tonight," Schmidt said. "My mentality going into it was to fill up the strike zone and go out there and attack."
His return comes at a critical time for the Yankees, as they deal with injuries in their pitching staff. Gil, who was expected to start his throwing program, has had to postpone it due to a slow recovery from a strained lat muscle, pushing his return back to July.
Schmidt is eager for a larger role within the team. He feels more confident in his abilities and understands his pitching strategy better than in the past. "I feel like I know my pitch package better," he stated. "I’m reading swings, I’m learning. It’s more pitch to pitch and you’re just a lot more calm."
The Yankees will look to build on this victory as they continue their season, hoping Schmidt’s return marks the start of a stronger rotation.
