The New York Yankees are dealing with yet again a setback in their starting rotation, as right-hander Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Monday due to shoulder pain. Manager Aaron Boone discovered that Schmidt’s shoulder “isn’t always bouncing back as well as he wanted to” and that the team is opting for warning instead of hazard in addition to complications.

With an already depleted pitching staff, the Yankees are treading carefully. Boone referred to that Schmidt will not go through any instantaneous checking out but will alternatively throw a bullpen session Monday rather than making the trip to Dunedin, Florida, to face the Toronto Blue Jays.

“With a number of the attrition we’ve had, it’s now not something we need to push,” Boone said. “Hopefully, he recovers, has no issues with the ‘pen [session], and then we’ll insert him back in a couple of days.”

This marks the second injury challenge for Schmidt this spring. The 29-year-old, was already coping with lower back trouble earlier in camp, delaying his Grapefruit League debut until March 11. He struggled in that start, permitting three runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Orioles. Despite this, the Yankees had deliberated to ease him into the regular season, targeting April 3 against the Diamondbacks for his first official start.

Schmidt’s situation adds to the Yankees’ growing list of pitching issues. Ace Gerrit Cole is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgical treatment, and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is sidelined with a vast lat strain, that will keep him out for at most three months. Additionally, JT Brubaker is improving from rib fractures, similarly limiting New York’s starting depth.

“We’ve taken some hits in the starting rotation,” general manager Brian Cashman said last week. “We genuinely can’t afford to take too many more.”

The Yankees had already been planning to hold Schmidt’s back for the sixth game of the season, given the team’s off-days on March 28 and 31. However, if his shoulder issue lingers, it may force him onto the injured list, leaving the Yankees scrambling for options.

At present, Carlos Rodón and Max Fried are shown as the Yankees’ first starters, with Marcus Stroman anticipated to comply with. The competition for the final rotation spots now appears to be between Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco, and Allan Winans. If Schmidt can’t begin the season healthy, both Warren and Carrasco ought to locate themselves in the rotation by default, with Brent Headrick probably serving as the following man up for depth.

Schmidt missed extensive time in 2024 because of a lat strain; however, he turned impressive when healthy, posting a 2.85 ERA over 16 starts off evolved. However, his restricted workload (85 1/3 innings) and struggles in the postseason, wherein he recorded a 5.25 ERA in 3 starts, leave questions on his durability.

The Yankees are hopeful that Schmidt’s shoulder soreness is only a minor setback, but with their modern injury woes, they could sick yet afford another big absence from their rotation. The results of his bullpen session will determine the following steps, but for now, New York stays in wait-and-see mode, hoping for better information inside the coming days.