Clarke Schmidt made a surprise appearance in the Yankees’ clubhouse on Monday, speaking to reporters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 11.
The right-hander revealed that he underwent the internal brace version of the procedure, meaning his ulnar collateral ligament did not require full reconstruction. It also means his projected timeline for a return is about 11-13 months, opposed to the 14-16-month timeline that comes with full reconstruction.
“From what I was told and everything that I’ve been informed of, it’s kind of the best case of the Tommy Johns,” Schmidt said. “So I think we dodged a major bullet with that.”
Asked when he’ll return to a big league mound, Schmidt added, “It’s hard to circle a day now, but a little bit after the All-Star break. I know that I’ll definitely be a factor next year, so I’m very encouraged by that.”
Should that come to fruition, it will be good news for the Yankees, as Gerrit Cole is also expected to miss the start of next season after undergoing his own Tommy John operation during spring training. In other words, the Yankees will be down two key starters to open the 2026 campaign.
Schmidt said his diagnosis initially caught him off guard even though he had been dealing with irregular soreness between starts. That began after his start in Anaheim on May 28, but Schmidt made six more starts after that.
That outing against the Angels began a string of success, as Schmidt had a 0.84 ERA over 32.1 innings and five starts from May 28 to June 21. That stretch included a seven-inning no-hit bid on June 21 and a 28.1-inning scoreless streak. However, Schmidt allowed four earned runs in a June 28 start, and he only lasted three innings in his last start on July 3 before exiting injured.
On Monday, Schmidt was asked if there was anything he or the Yankees should have done differently considering he had trouble recovering between those starts. He said it was “tough to say.”
“I’m a competitor, and I love competing, and I know how much of a blessing and honor it is to wear this uniform and to be able to go out there every single day,” Schmidt continued. “I don’t take it for granted, so I’m going to do anything I possibly can to go back out there every five days. It’s hard to keep me off the field when I’m having a lot of success. I’m feeling good. It’s just hard to tell a little kid – I feel like a little kid sometimes playing this game – it’s like, ‘You play for the Yankees. You wear this uniform.’ It’s hard to just be like, ‘All right, you got some soreness. Let’s get this checked out.’ When you’re having success and you’re feeling good, it’s hard to come off the field.”
With the past unchangeable, Schmidt is pleased with the early days of his rehab. His current focus is on regaining some range of motion. He’s also looking at his lengthy layoff as a chance to tinker.
The two-time Tommy John recipient hopes some changes will prevent more serious injuries in the future.
“I’m going to use this time to make myself better in all types of ways, whether it’s mechanically, physically, spiritually. I think it’s just a full re-centering, revamping process,” Schmidt said. “Throughout this process, there’s definitely going to be a revamping of mechanics and a revamping of routines and just everything that goes into staying out on the field.
“It’s like a full reset button for me. Obviously, it’s hard to find the silver lining in a lot of things, but for me, that’s one of them.”
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