Clarke Schmidt’s Latest Rehab Start Is Another Encouraging Sign for the Yankees

The most important stat to come out of Clarke Schmidt's rehab appearance Wednesday was zero — as in the amount of pain he felt in his right elbow.

The New York Yankees right-hander struck out three and allowed one run over two innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and said he "physically felt great" after the RailRiders' 9-2 win over Lehigh Valley.

Schmidt threw 23 pitches, 20 for strikes, allowing three hits while walking none. It was his second rehab outing and his first at Triple-A, but manager Aaron Boone said he'll need "a couple, few more" before returning to the majors.

Clarke Schmidt 'Physically Felt Good' After Wednesday's Outing

Schmidt is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last July. He hasn't pitched in the majors since July 3, 2025, but is expected to rejoin the Yankees at some point before the postseason.

"I'd say it's just knocking the rust off," Schmidt said. "It's a long process, so to be able to face hitters again, it's just knocking the rust off with pitch selection and stuff like that, obviously, and also execution."

Schmidt showed off his full arsenal against a roster that included former Philadelphia Phillies prospects Otto Kemp and Carter Kieboom. The plan was for him to pitch, sit down, and then return to the mound — a sequence designed to simulate a bullpen outing, and one that went according to plan.

"I threw a ton of strikes and thought my stuff was sharp and got a good bit of swing and miss, so I was happy with that," Schmidt said. "[I] physically felt good, so was happy with that, so now I get on the recovery train and start to get ready for the next one."

Schmidt's Outing Is Another Good Sign for the Yankees' Weary Pitching Staff

The Yankees have had the best pitching staff in the majors for much of the season. But they'll need reinforcements like Schmidt back and healthy as they try to chase down the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East title — and beyond that, in October.

Schmidt still needs these outings to shake off the rust, sharpen his feel for his pitches, and build up toward whatever role the Yankees ultimately need him to fill.

"There's just constant things I'm tinkering with and trying to work through," Schmidt said. "The sinker is obviously one of them, because I gave up a few hard hits on that. But other than that, it's just a constant adjustment period — this is a period of adaptation, working on my body and throwing out of the bullpen."

The RailRiders even moved up their start time and pushed back the national anthem to mimic Schmidt entering as a reliever would. He's expected to work as a swing man, though he could also emerge as a high-leverage setup option ahead of closer David Bednar in October.

Schmidt has the stuff and the arsenal to get big outs, and the Yankees will need a reliable bridge to Bednar — especially with Brent Headrick shouldering a heavy workload and Fernando Cruz on the injured list. Schmidt could be exactly what New York needs down the stretch and into the postseason, particularly if he's fully adjusted to the reliever's routine.

"There's a lot of different factors when you're relieving," Schmidt said. "You don't have as much time to get ready, [and] you don't have as long of a sit-down period, so [I'm] just trying to get used to those adjustments to try and make that transition as easy as possible."

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