Yankees righthander Clarke Schmidt embracing bullpen role for late-season push
Yankees' Clarke Schmidt throws a live batting practice session before a game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 25, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Same name. Same passion to compete. New role.
And maybe a bigger impact.
Given the state of the race in the AL East and the workload that Yankees’ bullpen has handled, the return of Clarke Schmidt to the big league roster as a relief pitcher – potentially to be deployed in high-leverage situations – could be a very big deal for the ballclub.
“He has a real chance to be a real factor for us in the ’pen,” manager Aaron Boone said last week.
The Yankees righthander spent three seasons as a starter until he suffered an elbow injury last July that required season-ending Tommy John surgery. He began a minor league rehab assignment Saturday, which is the final step before the organization activates him. As Boone suggested, he could be a significant addition to the club’s crew of relief pitchers, who have performed well but have been asked to pitch in so many high-leverage situations.
“This team has places we want to go and I want to be a part of getting us there,” Schmidt told Newsday. “I’m looking forward to getting the chance.”
On Saturday, Schmidt made his first appearance in a game in more than a year when he pitched for Double-A Somerset. He threw 20 pitches and said he enjoyed feeling some of the nerves that come with making the transition up from bullpen sessions.
Schmidt sees the opportunity to come out of the bullpen as a chance to “open the throttle” in a way that he wasn’t able to as a starting pitcher.
“I’m very competitive and want to be on the attack, (but) as a starter you can’t let those feelings take over – you can’t empty the tank in the first inning,” Schmidt told Newsday. “In relief, you may only pitch one inning and so going pedal-to-the-metal could be the right adjustment.
“There’s a little more push and pull, a little bit more dance with the hitter, when you’re going to face them two or three time. It’s ‘how can I set him up?’” he continued. “Now it’s more you see what you’ve got and go with your best pitches. ‘These are my best pitches – can you hit my best pitches?”
Coming out of the bullpen will not be something entirely new for Schmidt. He made 26 appearances in relief, along with three spot starts, during a 2022 season where he was 5-5 with a 3.12 ERA.
“The biggest thing now is getting some outings under his belt and hopefully (he’ll) get with us at some point to impact us,” Boone said.
Schmidt, who also had Tommy John surgery in college, understood that it comes hand-in-hand with an 11-to-13 month recovery and rehab. So the idea of him returning as a starter was almost certainly going to have to wait until 2027. But he also understood the ceiling for the Yankees this season and was committed to getting back, even if it meant pitching in relief. “Being a part of this matters to me,” he said.
“Given the timing, it’s not like I’m like ‘I should be starting’ and banging on the table,” Schmidt said before that first rehab appearance. “I know it’s unrealistic to get to 65 (or) 75 pitches . . . I’m excited to compete. I just want to get back out on the mound and pitch.”
When a starting pitcher returns from an injury and begins a minor league rehab assignment, it can take several starts to build up endurance. Schmidt will likely be asked to pitch an inning in relief – possibly two – and that shouldn’t require much more than the 20 pitches he threw last weekend. However, Boone said that to transition to a bullpen role, the Yankees are looking for different things.
“(It’s) how you’re responding to that kind of different workload, where it's shorter bursts, where you're building up density,” Boone said. “It’s pitch (then) day off (then) pitch again. Those kind of things that are a little bit different, especially for a guy that's mainly been a starter most of his life.”
As the Yankees departed for Anaheim after Sunday’s win over Boston, Schmidt had not yet had a conversation about the type of situations in which he could be summoned. But he likes the idea of being on the mound for the high-leverage situations.
“I think about being out there in big moments often,” Schmidt said. “The leverage guys are the guys who obviously have good stuff and who throw a lot of strikes, but more so have the mental fortitude (and). . . kind of welcome the pressure. . . . I try to stay present in those big moments and I kind of revel in them. I want to be out there when the pressure is on. I know I could be a high-leverage guy.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
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