Schmidt to undergo Tommy John surgery on Friday
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NEW YORK -- Five days after saying he believed it was "inevitable" Clarke Schmidt would undergo Tommy John surgery, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced on Thursday that the injured starter would have the procedure on Friday.
Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery. Schmidt will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, with his timetable for a potential '26 return not yet known.
This is the second Tommy John surgery for Schmidt, who underwent the procedure during his junior year at the University of South Carolina in 2017, shortly before the Yankees selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft (16th overall).
Schmidt exited his start against the Blue Jays on July 3 after three innings, complaining of tightness in his right forearm. He underwent an MRI the next morning in New York that revealed damage to his right ulnar collateral ligament.
He revealed that he had been dealing with tightness since June 4 vs. Cleveland, which was making it difficult to bounce back between starts.
Boone said the issue did not elevate to the point where it needed to be tested until the Toronto start. The Yankees did maneuver their rotation once to provide Schmidt with extra rest, flipping him with Will Warren for Schmidt’s June 28 start against the Athletics.
In 14 starts this season, Schmidt pitched to a 4-4 record and a 3.32 ERA, limiting opponents to a career-best .199 batting average. He began his season late due to rotator cuff tendinitis, which he attributed to attempting to build up stamina too quickly in March.
“He’s become a really good starting pitcher in this league,” Boone said last Friday. “It’s a tough blow, but … again, every team has their share of these things that happen. Hopefully we get some guys back in the mix soon. It will create another opportunity for somebody else to step in and pick up the slack.”
Right-hander Cam Schlittler earned the first chance to assume Schmidt’s rotation slot on Wednesday, striking out seven Mariners over 5 1/3 innings in his Major League debut, a 9-6 Yankees win.