The New York Yankees took another incremental step Wednesday toward restoring right-hander Clarke Schmidt to their pitching staff.
Before the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, the club announced that Schmidt’s rehab assignment had been transferred from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The move, confirmed by the team on social media, signals that the organization is satisfied enough with his early work to raise the level of competition he faces.
Schmidt has been absent since undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer. His road back has not been entirely linear. He faced live hitters on August 4 but had to cut the session short because of forearm cramping. A later session late last month went more smoothly, and the Yankees felt comfortable starting an official rehab assignment on August 29.
He made one appearance at Somerset, working two-thirds of an inning and allowing two runs on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts. That outing, modest as it was, was enough for the club to promote him to Triple-A.
The 30-year-old was selected 16th overall by the Yankees in the 2017 draft out of the University of South Carolina and reached the majors in 2020.
After limited work in his first two seasons, he posted a 3.12 ERA across 57 2/3 innings in 2022, mostly in relief.
New York converted him into a starter the following year; he threw 159 innings with a 4.64 ERA and 149 strikeouts. A right lat strain limited him to 85 1/3 innings and a 2.85 ERA in 2024. In 2025 he made 14 starts and finished with a 3.32 ERA over 78 2/3 innings.
When he eventually rejoins the major-league roster, Schmidt is expected to work out of the bullpen rather than immediately reclaim a rotation spot.
That role would give the Yankees a veteran arm with starting-pitcher experience who can still miss bats and eat innings in high-leverage or multi-inning situations.
For a club always searching for reliable pitching depth, the latest rehab promotion is a modest but welcome development.
Schmidt still has work to do at Triple-A before any call-up is considered, yet the transfer itself shows the organization believes he is progressing in the right direction.
