Yankees must heed Cam Schlittler warning signs before it's too late

It's no secret the Yankees have been riding their pitching staff this summer, as the offense struggles to find consistency at the plate with right fielder Aaron Judge and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton still on the injured list.

But if New York wants to put itself in the best possible position for the postseason, the team needs to consider dialing back the workload of its best arm and protecting right-hander Cam Schlittler for the stretch run.

The Yankees lead the majors with a 3.42 team ERA. And Schlittler is a big part of that, leading the American League with a 2.20 ERA.

Schlittler worn down?

But Schlittler is second in the AL with 123 innings pitched and is showing signs of getting worn down.

He lasted just 4.1 innings Sunday afternoon in the 8-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up three runs while striking out eight.

Before that, he put together a pair of quality starts, shutting down the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays.

However, on June 30, Schlittler gave up six runs, including four home runs, in just four innings of work as the Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 9-3.

Growing workload

ESPN projects Schlittler will throw 199 innings this year, meaning he will blow past his 2025 totals, when he threw 149.2 innings while splitting time with the Yankees, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset.

Look, the Yankees are clearly aware of Schlittler's growing workload, given the back-and-forth conversations about whether the 25-year-old should pitch in last week's All-Star Game.

Sure, he's tied for fourth in the majors with 145 strikeouts, fourth with 0.96 WHIP, and fifth with a 4.1 WAR.

But he's also seventh in batters faced (489) and eighth in total pitches thrown (1,918). If the Yankees have any chance of winning their first World Series since 2009, they will need Schlittler fresh for the playoffs. The best way to do that is to limit his innings for the rest of the regular season.

More pressure on rest of Yankees' starting rotation

That means more pressure on the rest of the starting rotation, and that comes at a time when the club isn't playing with a full deck of cards. But Carlos Rodon and Max Fried are expected to return from the injured list for the stretch run.

Plus, Gerrit Cole is getting stronger with every start as he moves past his Tommy John surgery. And Clarke Schmidt should return from his UCL surgery this summer as well.

The best way general manager Brian Cashman can help manager Aaron Boone protect Schlittler is by acquiring more pitching before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Maybe that comes in the form of a blockbuster trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Or maybe Cashman pursues some under-the-radar deals for bullpen reinforcements.

Bottom line, the Yankees can shift some of Schlittler's workload during the dog days of summer. And doing so will put New York in prime position for another run at the Fall Classic.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as Yankees Must Heed Cam Schlittler Warning Signs Before It's Too Late.