CLARKE SCHMIDT IS GETTING CLOSER, AND THE YANKEES MAY HAVE A NEW ROLE WAITING FOR HIM

The most important number from Clarke Schmidt’s Wednesday night was not his innings total.

It might have been 95.1.

That was the top velocity on Schmidt’s four seam fastball during his second minor league rehab appearance, another encouraging checkpoint in a comeback the New York Yankees have spent more than a year carefully managing.

Schmidt threw two innings for Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Lehigh Valley. He allowed one run on three hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Even more encouraging, 20 of his 23 pitches were strikes.

For a pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery, that combination matters.

Velocity is returning.

The ball is going where he wants it.

And Schmidt is finally facing hitters in meaningful game situations again.

The Yankees officially transferred his rehabilitation assignment from Double A Somerset to Triple A before Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, just days after Schmidt began his rehab assignment on Aug. 29.

His first outing was not dominant.

Schmidt allowed two runs on two hits, including a home run, while recording only two outs for Somerset. But evaluating a rehabilitation appearance strictly by the scoreboard misses the larger point.

Schmidt was pitching again.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2025, that alone represented progress.

Wednesday offered something more.

Schmidt mixed five pitches, using his four seam fastball, sinker, cutter, slider and knuckle curve. His four seamer averaged 94.1 mph and touched 95.1.

Those are meaningful numbers for a pitcher whose immediate future could look very different from his past.

From 2023 through 2025, Schmidt started 63 games for New York. He became an important piece of the rotation and produced a 2.85 ERA over 16 starts in 2024 before recording a 3.32 ERA across 14 starts in 2025.

The Yankees are not asking for that version of Schmidt right now.

There simply is not enough season remaining to build him into a traditional starter workload.

Instead, New York is preparing Schmidt to pitch out of the bullpen when he returns.

That changes the conversation.

Rather than asking Schmidt to navigate a lineup multiple times and throw 80 or 90 pitches, the Yankees could potentially deploy him for shorter, more aggressive appearances.

For a pitcher with a deep arsenal and starting experience, that possibility is intriguing.

It also arrives at a useful moment.

New York’s bullpen is navigating the loss of Fernando Cruz, who is on the injured list with a partially torn UCL. Cruz had been an important part of the relief group, and his absence has increased the importance of identifying dependable September arms.

Schmidt is not guaranteed to solve that problem.

He still has rehabilitation work ahead.

The Yankees need to see how his arm responds between outings. They need evidence that his velocity and command remain consistent. And after the forearm cramping that interrupted a live session on Aug. 4, caution remains essential.

But Wednesday provided another reason for optimism.

Twenty strikes in 23 pitches is not the profile of someone fighting his mechanics.

A 95.1 mph fastball does not suggest Schmidt is simply trying to survive his rehabilitation outings.

Three strikeouts in two innings suggest the stuff can still miss bats.

Now imagine that arsenal condensed into a postseason relief appearance.

A starter accustomed to pacing himself through five or six innings could suddenly be asked for three, four or six outs.

Perhaps the fastball plays harder.

Perhaps the cutter becomes more aggressive.

Perhaps hitters get only one opportunity to adjust.

That is the possibility the Yankees can begin considering.

Schmidt’s return is not official.

There is no reason to treat a successful Triple A outing as proof that he is ready for high leverage innings in the Bronx.

But September is about accumulating options.

And New York just moved one potentially important option another step closer.

Clarke Schmidt spent most of 2026 trying to get back onto a mound.

Now the question is changing.

If he gets back to Yankee Stadium, how important could those first few innings become?