New York Yankees Scratch Clarke Schmidt From Scheduled Start With Side Injury

Clarke Schmidt was experiencing side soreness ahead of the New York Yankees' showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, so the club pushed his next start back to Tuesday.

Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) walks off the fields after the top of the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt was scratched from his scheduled start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, per the team's updated lineup.

Left-hander Ryan Yarborough will start in Schmidt's place, facing off against the team he played for from 2018 to 2022. Yarborough hasn't started a big league game since 2023, having made all eight of his appearances out of the bullpen this season, but he did last 3.2 innings his last time out.

Schmidt told The Athletic's Chris Kirscher and others that he was dealing with left side soreness. The injury is minor, though, and he expects to take the mound Tuesday against the San Diego Padres.

A right lat strain limited Schmidt to 16 starts in 2024, but he still managed to go 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.184 WHIP and 2.0 WAR. In the postseason, however, he went 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.500 WHIP across three starts.

The 29-year-old's struggles have continued in 2025, starting with the back and shoulder injuries he suffered in spring training. He ultimately opened the regular season on the injured list with right rotator cuff tendonitis.

In his three big league starts since returning, Schmidt has gone 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA, 1.432 WHIP and -0.2 WAR.

The Yankees may be better off with Yarborough on the mound Saturday, and not just because of Schmidt's poor production as of late. The Rays are one of the least-productive teams in MLB against lefties, which was evident when Max Fried shut them down again on Friday.

First pitch between New York and Tampa Bay is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.

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