SerpApi.Org
Clarke Schmidt faced hitters for the first time since Tommy John surgery, and the timing matters for the Yankees. The right-hander is not ready to jump into a game tomorrow, but his recovery is moving toward a point where the front office has to decide how much help it still needs.
Schmidt threw 15 pitches in his first live batting-practice session and reached 95 mph a couple of times. He used his four-seam fastball, sinker, and cutter, with breaking pitches scheduled for the next session. It was a normal first step, not a return announcement.
Still, the Yankees have been looking for relief help before the deadline. Schmidt has made 29 relief appearances in his career, and he posted a 2.74 ERA across 46 innings in that role in 2022. His Baseball Savant page also shows the larger picture: he has been a starter when healthy, but he has already shown that a shorter role can work.
The question is simple. Do the Yankees buy another late-inning arm now, or do they leave room for Schmidt to become part of the answer in August?
Yankees have a Schmidt choice to make
The report on Schmidt said the Yankees could bring him back as a starter or a reliever. Relief would be the faster route. He would not need to build all the way to 60 or 70 pitches, and his stuff could play up if he only had to face a few hitters at a time.
The Yankees should not count on it yet. Schmidt still has more live batting practices, a minor league assignment, and the normal recovery work in front of him. A setback would change the whole calculation.
The practical part is the trade market. If the Yankees find a reliever who can handle the eighth inning and protect their other arms, they should not pass because Schmidt might be available later. A possible August return is not the same thing as a reliable deadline plan.
The internal option still matters
Schmidt gives the Yankees something they do not get from a rental. He knows the staff, has started meaningful games, and can cover more than one role. That makes him useful even if the club adds another pitcher.
I would treat him as a bonus, not a solution. If the price for a reliever is reasonable, make the move. If the market gets silly, Schmidt could give the Yankees a better alternative than paying prospect capital for a one-month fix.
The live batting practice was a good update. It also made the deadline decision a little more complicated. The Yankees now have a real internal option to consider, but they still need to find out whether Schmidt can get through the rest of the process before relying on him.
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