The New York Yankees had won six of their previous seven games heading into Tuesday night against the Cleveland Guardians. The pitching was set. The offense had been producing.
It didn’t hold. Cleveland won 9-4, with the Guardians’ offense doing damage after Cam Schlittler was pulled in the fifth inning and the bullpen struggled to contain the bleeding. The Yankees were also without their most important player from the opening pitch.
After the game, Schlittler addressed both his own performance and the larger situation surrounding the club.
Schlittler Addresses the Judge Situation
GettyNew York Yankees SP Cam Schlittler.
Aaron Judge was out of the lineup Tuesday with a bone bruise near his right rib cage, an injury that has been affecting his swing for weeks and now has the Yankees sending him to a specialist for additional testing.
Schlittler was asked directly whether Judge’s absence concerned him. His answer was straightforward.
“I’m not worried,” Schlittler said. “I was really happy with the offense there in the early innings. Usually four innings is gonna get the job done.”
Schlittler acknowledged the offense did its part early. The Yankees scored four times in the first four innings. The rest of the night just didn’t follow.
“I’m not worried. I was really happy with the offense there in the early innings. Usually four innings is gonna get the job done”
What Schlittler Was Working Through
The bigger story surrounding Schlittler on Tuesday was his own performance. The AL Cy Young frontrunner allowed a career-high five runs in just over four innings, his stuff noticeably down from the standard he has set all season. Manager Aaron Boone noted the velocity and location weren’t where they needed to be, and Schlittler himself acknowledged he simply didn’t have his best.
It was a rare slip for a pitcher who has been one of the most reliable starters in baseball this season, carrying significant weight in the rotation while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon worked through their own issues. One bad outing doesn’t change what he has built. The Yankees will need him sharp going forward, especially with the Judge situation now unresolved.
The Bigger Picture for the Yankees
GettyAaron Judge of the New York Yankees.
Judge’s injury reframes a lot of what Yankees fans watched over the past month. Over a recent 22-game stretch, he went 17-for-82 with just six extra-base hits, 14 walks, and 26 strikeouts, including a brutal two-hit stretch over 26 at-bats with seven consecutive strikeouts. Those numbers drew concern. The bone bruise near his rib cage, which affects his swing path, perhaps provides the explanation.
NYU Langone sports orthopedic surgeon Dr. Spencer Stein outlined what recovery could look like, noting the injury needs rest and that timelines can range from a week or two on the short end to eight to ten weeks if the bruise is closer to a stress fracture. The Yankees are awaiting the specialist’s findings before determining next steps.
Schlittler’s confidence in the group is genuine. New York is still 36-24 with the depth to absorb a short absence. Whether this stays short is the question nobody can answer yet.
Final Word for the Yankees
Schlittler’s response after the game reflected the right mindset. The offense showed up early. The rotation had an off night. Those things happen over 162 games.
The Judge situation is different. A bone bruise with an open-ended timeline is not something the Yankees can simply absorb and move on from without knowing more. The specialist visit changes the conversation depending on what comes back.
New York has the pieces to stay afloat. They have done it before without Judge, and the roster is deeper than it has been in recent years.
But his importance to this lineup doesn’t need explaining. The Yankees need him back, and right now nobody knows exactly when that will be.
Yankees Get Cam Schlittler Reaction to Aaron Judge Injury Scare