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TAMPA — And then there was another.

It is still too early to say whether Clarke Schmidt is headed down the same road as Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil or if this will merely be a speed bump.

But late in a spring in which the Yankees rotation has already taken a pair of body blows, Schmidt was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday because he has been “a little sore” in his recovery, Aaron Boone said Sunday, indicating it has to do with his shoulder.

“Not bouncing back as well as he wanted to,” Boone said at Steinbrenner Field after a 4-3 loss to the Pirates. “I think we’re just being cautious with it. But he’s not making his start, so there’s at least that concern.”


  Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his Monday start. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his Monday start. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As of Sunday, there were no tests scheduled for Schmidt.

The current plan is for Schmidt to throw a bullpen session Monday instead of facing the Blue Jays, and if he recovers from that, he would be return to the rotation.

But not much has gone as smoothly as the Yankees had hoped this spring when it comes to injuries and their pitching staff.

The Yankees have already lost Cole (Tommy John surgery) for the season and Gil (lat strain) at least until June, if not longer.

Some of their depth has also been gutted in Chase Hampton (Tommy John surgery) and JT Brubaker (broken ribs).

That has thrust Marcus Stroman from the No. 6 starter to a mid-rotation arm and Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco into a battle for the fifth starter job.

If Schmidt is forced to miss time, that would likely vault both Warren and Carrasco into the rotation and make Allan Winans the new next-in-waiting.

“Obviously at this point, with some of the attrition we’ve had, not something we want to push,” Boone said of Schmidt’s shoulder soreness.

Schmidt has only appeared in one game so far this spring after being slowed early by a cranky back.

The Yankees had planned for him to start the sixth game of the season — with the potential for the Opening Day starter, Carlos Rodón, to pitch the fifth game on normal rest because of a pair of early off-days — so Schmidt could build up as much as possible before heading north, but now that may be in jeopardy.

The 29-year-old right-hander made his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday and got tagged for three runs on four hits while striking out four across 1 ²/₃ innings and 38 pitches.


  Clarke Schmidt is pictured during a spring training workout Feb. 20. Charles Wenzelberg Clarke Schmidt is pictured during a spring training workout Feb. 20. Charles Wenzelberg

“Just since he threw in the game last, not getting all the way back to how he normally would,” Boone said.

That has often been a precursor to injury for other pitchers, but when that was brought up to Boone, he backed off it slightly.

“I may be misstating it,” Boone said. “I don’t think they feel the need that there’s testing right now. I think it’s just at this point, hopefully being cautious with it.”

Lefty Brent Headrick, who has been built up to 50 pitches to give the Yankees the option to use him as a starter or multi-inning reliever, will start in Schmidt’s place on Monday.

Schmidt missed over three months last season with a lat strain.

In 2021, he missed the first four-plus months of the season with an elbow strain.

Before landing on the IL last season, Schmidt got off to a strong start that put him among the American League’s best, posting a 2.52 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 60 ²/₃ innings across his first 11 starts.

He returned in September and finished the season with a 2.85 ERA, then made three starts in the playoffs in which he allowed seven earned runs in 12 innings.

The healthiest season of Schmidt’s big league career came in 2023, when he made 32 starts and posted a 4.64 ERA while throwing a career-high 159 innings.

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