With the Yankees’ rotation already in a bind, Clarke Schmidt said he felt “great” following a bullpen session on Monday.
Schmidt was originally supposed to start Sunday’s spring training game against the Pirates. That was then changed to Monday’s exhibition against the Blue Jays before he was downgraded to a 24-pitch side session after experiencing shoulder fatigue following his spring debut on March 11.
“I wouldn’t be throwing if there was a concern of something major,” Schmidt said after his bullpen, per the YES Network’s Jack Curry. Schmidt added that he and the Yankees were being cautious.
Schmidt is now eyeing March 19 or 20 for his next spring start, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, though he’ll have to see how he recovers from his bullpen. He still believes he can make his regular season debut on April 3 against the Diamondbacks, the Yankees’ sixth game of the season.
That date was set after a cranky back initially delayed Schmidt’s spring schedule.
Because the Yankees have two off days over the course of their first five games, they may be able to get through that stretch with four starters before Schmidt is scheduled to take the mound.
With Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (lat strain) sidelined, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried and Marcus Stroman are set in the Yankees’ rotation. If Schmidt remains on schedule, the fifth rotation spot is down to Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco.
Both righties have looked sharp this spring, recording sub-3.00 ERAs. But Warren, 25 and coming off a bumpy intro to the majors last season, can be optioned to the minors. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Carrasco, a 15-year vet and non-roster invitee, can opt out of his contract on March 22 if he’s not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. That means he can be released if requested or added to the roster within 72 hours.
With the Yankees’ rotation depth decimated by injuries – JT Brubaker (broken ribs) and Chase Hampton (Tommy John surgery) are also out – the team can’t afford to lose any more arms, giving Carrasco a logistical edge over Warren.
Of course, Schmidt could experience further delays, which would create room for Warren and Carrasco.
Cracking the Yankees’ roster would mean a nice payday for Carrasco, as he’s owed a $1.5 million base salary if he’s in the big leagues. He can earn an additional $2.5 million in bonuses.
According to a source, Carrasco would earn $150,000 each for starting 12 games, 14 games, 16 games and 18 games. He can earn $250,000 each for starting 20 games, 22 games, 24 games and 26 games. Finally, he’d get $450,000 each for starting 28 games and 30 games.
Carrasco can also opt out on June 1 and July 1, though that’s not something he and the Yankees have to think about right now.
Another opportunity in the majors would also give Carrasco a chance to prove that he still has some gas left in the tank. The former Met and Guardian has a 5.32 ERA over the last four seasons, but he’s shown swing and miss stuff this spring after tweaking his mechanics and boosting his velocity over the winter.
Other Injury Updates
With Schmidt hoping that he’s in the clear, a few more injury updates came out of Yankees camp on Monday.
Per MLB.com, Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows/calf) has started “doing a little bit more of everything,” but he’s still going to start the season on the injured list. Meanwhile, Boone said DJ LeMahieu (calf strain) has resumed swinging and tee work.
Ian Hamilton (infection) was scheduled for live batting practice on Monday and hoped to be ready for Opening Day. Fellow reliever Jake Cousins (forearm strain) will not be, but he’s increased his throwing to 90 feet.
