New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) was activated off the 60-day injured list earlier on Saturday and will return to the bump to face the Chicago Cubs. Schmidt has not made a start since May before being shut down for over three months. The 28-year-old logged eleven 1/3 innings of rehab appearances and reached 70 pitches in his final start, suggesting he may not face a significant innings limit on Saturday afternoon. Before the injury, the right-hander held a strong 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 20:67 BB:K ratio across 60 2/3 innings of work. Schmidt could be worth a look in DFS this afternoon, as the Cubs hold a 23.3% K rate against right-handers.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will make his long-awaited return from the 60-day injured list and start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Schmidt made three minor-league rehab starts and got up to 70 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in his last start down on the farm. The 28-year-old will be more risky in his first start back in the big leagues since late May because of a lat strain, but if he's floating around on the waiver wire in mixed fantasy leagues, he's worth a look to close out the 2024 regular season. The former 16th overall pick in 2017 out of South Carolina was looking pretty strong in his first 11 starts this year before his injury, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 67 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings pitched. Schmidt didn't allow over three earned runs in any of his 11 outings to begin the year.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) looked good in his final minor-league rehab start on Monday with Double-A Somerset, allowing two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking nine and striking out seven in 4 2/3 innings of work. Schmidt threw 46 of his 70 pitches in his third and final rehab start. Nothing is official yet, but the 28-year-old is expected to return to New York's starting rotation this weekend at Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs. The former first-rounder was a fantasy asset in all leagues with a 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in his first 11 starts of the year before injuring his lat,, but he also hasn't made a start in the big leagues since May 26. Schmidt should be in play in mixed leagues down the stretch, but he may be a bit limited from a pitch-count perspective in his first start back, which should come this weekend.

There is a "very good chance" that New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will rejoin the starting rotation this weekend at Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs, according to manager Aaron Boone. Schmidt will make his third and final minor-league rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Monday before rejoining the starting rotation this weekend for the first time since late May. Although it's been a while since the 28-year-old pitched in a major-league game this year, fantasy managers shouldn't ignore him in mixed leagues in the final month of the regular season. He has struck out 11 and walked only two while giving up just two runs in his two rehab starts for Somerset. In addition to Schmidt, the Yankees are expected to get Luis Gil (back) back from the injured list this weekend. Schmidt was solid in his first 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 67 K's in 60 2/3 frames.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) is scheduled to throw a side session on Saturday, at which point the team will decide if he needs to make another minor-league rehab start. General manager Brian Cashman has said that the Yankees expect Schmidt to be ready during the second week of September. In his two rehab starts, Schmidt has allowed only two runs in 6 2/3 innings with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He has been on the injured list since May 30. If the Yankees reinstate Schmidt after his throwing session on Saturday, he could be a little limited from a pitch-count perspective in his first start back in the big leagues. The 28-year-old is expected to be used in a starting role when he returns, and he was solid in his first 11 starts this year before getting hurt, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings of work.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will likely make another minor-league rehab start after his outing on Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, although nothing is set in stone. Schmidt impressed by giving up just one run while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings in his first rehab start with Double-A Somerset, and now he'll take on better competition in his second start. If all goes well with the 28-year-old's next two rehab starts, he could be a candidate to return to New York's starting rotation next weekend in a series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. Fantasy managers looking for streaming options in mixed leagues down the stretch shouldn't forget about Schmidt, who has been out since late May with a strained right lat. He was sporting a career-high 27.1% strikeout rate and tidy 2.52 ERA in 11 starts for the Yanks before his injury.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) expects to make his first minor-league rehab start on Friday, likely for Double-A Somerset. Schmidt is set to throw around 50 pitches in what should be the first of multiple rehab outings in the minor leagues, and if all goes well on his assignment, he could return to the big leagues during the second week of September. Before heading to the shelf due to a strained right lat, the 28-year-old upstart right-hander was one of New York's top pitchers, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings (11 starts). Once Schmidt is back in the mix, it'll be interesting to see if the Yankees opt to employ a six-man rotation or move one of their current starters into the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw 25 pitches to teammates in his second live batting practice session on Saturday and said it went "really well." Schmidt will have another session on Wednesday and will throw around 30 pitches. General manager Brian Cashman has previously said that Schmidt should begin a rehab assignment later next week around Aug. 22, which puts the hurler on track to return to the major leagues around the second week of September. Before he went down with a strained lat, the 28-year-old upstart right-hander was one of the New York's top pitchers, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings (11 starts). When he returns, the Yankees will likely either decide to roll with a six-man rotation or consider transitioning Nestor Cortes or Marcus Stroman into a long-relief option for the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw a live batting practice session ahead of Tuesday's postponed game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Schmidt threw 20 pitches on Tuesday and will toss another live session on Saturday, indicating that he could go on a minor-league rehab assignment soon thereafter. The 28-year-old upstart right-hander hopes to be back on the mound for the Yankees sometime before the end of August, but his absence could extend into early September, depending on when his assignment begins. When he strained his lat, Schmidt was one of the Yankees' top pitchers while going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. Upon his return, New York could opt to employ a six-man rotation or move the struggling Nestor Cortes Jr. to the bullpen.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw a 20-pitch session from a bullpen mound on Saturday and did not have any setbacks, according to manager Aaron Boone. This was the first time the 28-year-old had been on the mound since hitting the injured list in late May. Boone expressed that "everything went well for him" during the session. This is a great sign, as this was a significant step in the recovery process. Schmidt has held a solid 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 20:67 BB:K ratio across 60 innings this season. The right-hander will likely need to log several more bullpen sessions before embarking on a rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should expect Schmidt back in the big leagues sometime in August if he continues to progress well.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will throw off the mound for the first time on Saturday and will go around 20 pitches in a bullpen session. Schmidt expects to be fully built up by the end of the season. The 28-year-old was placed on the 15-day injured list back on May 30 and is finally able to get back on a mound due to a strained right lat. He'll eventually need a minor-league rehab assignment, but barring a setback along the way, Schmidt should be able to return to the Yankees' big-league pitching staff at some point in August. However, depending on the health of the team's starting rotation upon his return, Schmidt might be forced to build up his arm in the Bronx in a bullpen role. He was looking good in 11 starts this year before his injury, posting a career-low 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 67 K's and 20 walks in 60 2/3 frames.

New York Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt (lat) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday afternoon, retroactive to May 27, with a right lat strain. Schmidt last took the mound on Sunday against the San Diego Padres and looked no worse for wear during the start. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old will be sidelined for at least two weeks as he recovers from the ailment. It is an unfortunate injury as Schmidt was in the midst of a breakout campaign. He owns a 5-3 record, 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 67:20 K:BB across 11 starts. He has also not surrendered more than three runs in any outing this season. Right-hander Cody Morris was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a corresponding move, but it is unclear who will replace Schmidt in the rotation at this point.UPDATE: Schmidt will be shut down at least four to six weeks, according to manager Aaron Boone.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt tossed an eight-inning gem on Thursday afternoon as he kept the scoresheet clean and only allowed three hits with eight punchouts to clinch a series sweep over the Minnesota Twins. Schmidt never ran into any trouble, as all three hits were scattered throughout the afternoon. This was Schmidt's longest and most productive outing of the young season, which lowered his ERA to a solid 2.84 and his WHIP to 1.24. The 28-year-old has now won consecutive games and has struck out at least six batters through his three starts in May. Schmidt is rostered in just over half of fantasy leagues at 51% and should continue to be deployed in most matchups. He is tentatively scheduled to face the Seattle Mariners next Tuesday, May 21, which should be an excellent opportunity for Schmidt to continue to tally punchouts as the Seattle bats have struck out the most times in baseball.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt held the Rays scoreless while striking out six in the Yankees 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Friday night. Schmidt threw six and two-thirds innings and gave up five hits, all singles, en route to picking up his fourth win of the season. The 28-year-old reduced his ERA to 2.95, the lowest ERA he's posted in any season. Fantasy managers looking for additional pitching depth should look to snag Schmidt if available as he'd make a great bench and streaming option. The right-hander will look to continue his hot run in his next scheduled start on Thursday against the red-hot Minnesota Twins.

New York Yankees Clarke Schmidt right-hander struck out seven across five innings in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians to get his first win of the season. Schmidt surrendered two runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks. With Friday's rain out, the Yankees are playing two games on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians. Schmidt started the first game, and the only run he gave up was on a fielder's choice. Schmidt has started three games this season and sports a 3.68 ERA and an unsightly 1.64 WHIP thus far. He also has 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. Schmidt will continue to be a part of the rotation in New York, with Gerrit Cole (elbow) out with elbow inflammation. His next start should be against the Tampa Bay Rays next weekend.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt was impressive during his outing against the New York Mets on Monday. Coming into camp there were some concerns if Schmidt would be able to keep up the high level of pitching that he showed last season. The right-hander has proven himself in camp and earned himself the fourth spot in the rotation. On Monday, Schmidt allowed one hit with six strikeouts over six innings of work. He'll be worth a look as a streaming option in mixed leagues.

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt is guaranteed a spot in the Opening Day starting rotation, according to manager Aaron Boone. Schmidt made a career-high 33 appearances (32 starts) for the Yankees last year, covering 159 innings. He went 9-9 with a 4.64 ERA (4.42 FIP) and 1.35 WHIP with 46 walks and 149 strikeouts. The 28-year-old hurler didn't really stand out at all despite a big increase in volume and failed to make it very deep into most of his starts. None of Schmidt's four pitches really stand out, but the Yankees will be hoping he can improve in his second full season as a big-league starter in the Bronx. It won't be easy in the tough American League East or at Yankee Stadium. Schmidt currently is outside of RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitcher rankings.

New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt will get the start Thursday night against the visiting Houston Astros. This marks the right-hander's 23rd appearance and 22nd start of the season while he has compiled a 4.39 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 4.23 SIERA, and a 15.5% K-BB% in that time. The good news is that he is pitching where he has been at his best this season as Schmidt owns a 4.01 ERA at Yankee Stadium this season, much better than his 4.91 mark on the road. Schmidt also owns a 5.1% BB% at home and an 8.2% BB% on the road. He will take on an Astros team that sits in a share of 18th with a .315 wOBA versus right-handed pitching on the season but recently got superstars Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez back from lengthy absences.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt picked up his second win of the season in the team's 6-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on the road on Friday night. Schmidt allowed only two earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out six in his five innings of work. It was nice to see the 27-year-old right-hander turn things around after he surrendered a season-high seven runs in his last outing against the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. This one was a much easier matchup, and Schmidt delivered for his fantasy managers. Still, Schmidt hasn't been that effective so far in 2023, going 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA (4.41 FIP), 1.62 WHIP, 16 walks, 54 strikeouts and eight homers allowed in 45 innings (10 starts).

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt will take the bump Wednesday to face Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Guardians. The 27-year-old's 6.84 ERA and 1.68 WHIP leave a lot to be desired, but he owns a solid 26.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. As his 3.99 xFIP indicates, Schmidt has been unlucky this season but has also completed five innings just twice and is 0-6 over his six starts. Fantasy managers in most leagues should hold onto the former first-rounder and hope a change of fortune, and a longer leash, are on their way. There's a chance that starts on Wednesday, considering the Guardians are running an 81 wRC+, the fourth lowest in baseball.