The New York Yankees are closing out their series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.
Prior to the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media and gave several injury updates, one of which focused on right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who has been sidelined all season after undergoing right elbow internal brace surgery in July 2025 following a UCL tear he suffered after a start against the Blue Jays.
Schmidt began ramping back up recently but suffered minor forearm cramping, which caused a scare during a live batting practice session this month. However, the issue didn’t set him back much, as he resumed playing catch.
Boone Gives Update on Schmidt
According to Gary Phillips of New York Daily News Sports, Boone revealed Sunday that he’s hopeful Schmidt will be able to get back on the mound within the next couple of days.
He’s been throwing off flat ground since the forearm cramping occurred on Aug. 4.
When asked about the type of role Schmidt might have if he returns this season, Boone said a couple of days ago that the right-hander would likely work out of the bullpen, but things can obviously change very quickly.
“That can always change as the weeks and month unfolds, just depending. But that’s kind of how we’re looking at,” Boone said.
Aaron Boone said the hope is that Clarke Schmidt gets back on the mound in the next couple days. He’s been throwing off flat ground since his forearm cramping cut his live BP session short on Aug. 4.
Not really new, but Boone also said the other day that Schmidt is preparing for…
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 16, 2026
Schmidt’s MLB Career
Schmidt made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2020 and has been a formidable option throughout his tenure.
In 16 starts in 2024, he posted a 2.85 ERA. Last season, he posted a 3.32 ERA across 14 starts before his injury.
Across 67 career starts and 97 appearances, Schmidt owns a 3.82 ERA over 393.1 innings.
New York Yankees Announce Clarke Schmidt Update During Blue Jays Series