TAMPA, Fla. -- It looked like a run-of-the-mill throwing session, but in a Spring Training where little has gone as expected for the Yankees¡¯ starting rotation, they have learned to take little for granted. That¡¯s why, as Andy Pettitte greeted a familiar face outside the bullpens at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the retired hurler excused himself hurriedly.
¡°I¡¯d better go watch this,¡± Pettitte said, breaking into a slow jog. ¡°Clarke is about to heat it up.¡±
The pitcher in question was, of course, Clarke Schmidt, who was scratched from a scheduled start Monday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin due to fatigue in his right shoulder. Schmidt tossed instead from the bullpen mound, mixing 24 pitches, and came away feeling ¡°great.¡±
On some level, the Yankees can exhale -- for now. Schmidt described his issue as ¡°bouncing back slow¡± between outings, with no sharp discomfort.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be throwing if there was a concern of something major,¡± Schmidt said. ¡°Last year, I had a little injury, and I threw through that for a few weeks. I ended up making a potentially smaller thing into a big issue, missing a couple of months. So, obviously, we¡¯re trying to avoid that.¡±
Schmidt was referencing the right lat strain that cost him approximately three months last season, though he returned in September and made three starts in the postseason, including Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers.
Each of Schmidt¡¯s pitches on Monday was monitored by pitching coach Matt Blake, who peered over the hurler, arms crossed. Assistant pitching coach Preston Claiborne tracked advanced data, and Marcus Stroman stood close by, observing the progress of his fellow starting pitcher and locker neighbor.
Again, that might seem like a lot of attention for 24 practice pitches, but it underscores how much the Yankees need Schmidt to be ready for his first scheduled start on April 3 against the D-backs.
The Yankees have been slammed by injuries this spring. Ace right-hander Gerrit Cole will miss the year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is mending a high-grade lat strain that is expected to keep the right-hander out for at least three months.
¡°I think we felt good about [the bullpen session],¡± manager Aaron Boone said. ¡°But any time you¡¯re taken out of a game, there¡¯s still that trepidation -- especially considering with what we¡¯ve been through so far with some guys this spring. So, hopefully, we¡¯re OK.¡±
Schmidt, 29, was slowed earlier in camp by a stiff back that delayed his Grapefruit League debut until March 11, when he allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings to the Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
¡°I started my training instantly [after the World Series] and kind of shut down throwing longer than I should have,¡± Schmidt said. ¡°But you don¡¯t really know until you go through it; it¡¯s kind of trial-by-error. So, for me, I felt I shut down a little bit too long and I¡¯ve been playing catch-up, behind the eight ball a little bit.
¡°I¡¯m feeling good now. It¡¯s obviously frustrating when you feel really good at the end of the year and you¡¯re like, ¡®Oh, I¡¯m going to take some time off because we played long and we went deep into the year,¡¯ thinking it¡¯s best for you. Sometimes it¡¯s counterproductive.¡±
The Yankees have said Schmidt would initially remain behind in Florida to continue building stamina when the team goes north. Boone said if Schmidt recovers well from Monday¡¯s session, he¡¯ll be slotted into the rotation on Wednesday or Thursday.
¡°Things are very fluid and they change day by day, but for me, the goal hasn¡¯t changed of making that [April 3] start,¡± Schmidt said. ¡°We can get pretty creative with the off-days in the beginning of the year and you can maneuver some things around. For me, I¡¯m focused on my recovery right now.¡±