Schmidt (forearm) goes on IL as Yanks fall out of first place

TORONTO – Three losses in three games had already made this a nightmarish trip north of the border for the Yankees, even before Clarke Schmidt made his way through the dugout in the third inning on Thursday evening, his right forearm aching as he trudged toward a stint on the 15-day injured list. The club recalled pitchers Scott Effross and Jayvien Sandridge from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in corresponding moves on Friday.

George Springer hit the first of his two homers off Schmidt as the Yankees fell out of first place in the American League East for the first time since after the games of April 13, dropping an 8-5 decision to the Blue Jays. It marked Toronto’s first four-game sweep of New York at Rogers Centre, an insult served with a side of injury.

“Anytime you’re getting an MRI on your forearm, you’re not feeling happy about it,” Schmidt said.

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Schmidt revealed that he has been dealing with tightness in his right forearm since June 4 against Cleveland, which has made it difficult to bounce back between starts.

The Yankees have tried to accommodate his recovery, recently pushing his June 28 outing against the Athletics back by a day. Previously, Schmidt matched a career high with 103 pitches over seven hitless innings against the Orioles on June 21.

That day, manager Aaron Boone said he would not permit Schmidt to chase the final six outs separating him from a potential no-hitter. Thursday’s early exit showed why the Yankees insisted upon exercising caution.

“It’s been a little bit of an issue for him the last few starts, just kind of recovering,” Boone said. “Usually it comes on a little bit later in the game. Today it was a bit earlier. He was just having a hard time finishing some of his pitches, so we got him out of there.”

The Blue Jays tagged Schmidt for three runs on four hits and two walks. Schmidt’s command appeared erratic in his final inning, when he surrendered two doubles and Springer’s two-run homer.

Schmidt admitted to “guarding it a little bit” on several of his pitches, especially breaking balls.

“Early on in the game, it felt OK. As the game progressed, it started to tighten up on me,” Schmidt said.

Springer added an eighth-inning homer off Luke Weaver, also a two-run shot. Weaver said he is “pretty disgusted,” having pitched to a 10.80 ERA in five innings since returning from the injured list.

“I feel like one guy in particular has had a nice little series there,” Weaver said of Springer, who hit .571 (8-for-14) with four homers and 11 RBIs in the four-game sweep.

Jasson Domínguez had four hits, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, while Trent Grisham hit a third-inning homer off Toronto starter Chris Bassitt. But it wasn’t enough to avert the Yanks’ 14th loss in 20 games, an outcome that prompted Boone to briefly address the team.

“Look, it’s no fun going through it,” Boone said. “It sucks when you get your [tail] kicked in a division rival series on the road. But we’re readymade for this. We will get through this.”

Schmidt will undergo an MRI on Friday in New York. Even in a best-case scenario, it seems likely he will land on the injured list.

“Everything here is big picture,” Schmidt said. “We understand that the focus is on the playoffs and making sure you’re good down the stretch.”

The 29-year-old Schmidt has been a reliable cog in the Bombers’ rotation, pitching to a 4-4 record and a 3.32 ERA in 14 starts. He began his season late due to right rotator cuff tendinitis, which he attributed to attempting to build up stamina too quickly during Spring Training.

Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Will Warren have each made 18 starts for the Yanks, but the rest of the rotation has been in flux since Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil went down to injuries this spring.

Cole is out for the year, while Gil is about a week from pitching in his first Minor League rehab game. Ryan Yarbrough, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman and Allan Winans are among those who have also started games.

Yarbrough has yet to resume throwing after sustaining an oblique strain in June. If Schmidt were to miss significant time, Winans could return from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Or, if the Yankees prefer a more aggressive move, Cam Schlittler has been electric in the Minors. The 24-year-old has pitched to a 6-6 record and a 2.82 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) for Double-A Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, striking out 99 batters in 76 2/3 innings.

Schlittler, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, is rated as the organization’s No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

“We’ll see,” Boone said. “We’ll circle up on that.”