Reinforcements Coming Soon for Struggling Yankees Starting Rotation

The New York Yankees struggling starting rotation is going to be getting some help very soon.

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) reacts after getting the last out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees starting rotation has been a mess at the start of the 2025 MLB regular season.

That isn’t too much of a surprise given how much talent the team lost to injury during spring training.

Ace Gerrit Cole had to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his campaign before it even began. Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffered a severe lat strain. Clarke Schmidt wasn’t ready to start the year as he dealt with rotator cuff tendinitis.

Thankfully, the Yankees signed Max Fried in free agency, because he is the only starting pitcher providing the team with any positive production right now.

He had a 2.61 ERA heading into his matchup with the Detroit Tigers on April 9. The next-lowest ERA for a starting pitcher on the team is Carlos Rodon with a 5.19.

Rodon has failed to step up in the absence of his teammates, while veterans Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco have offered virtually nothing positive on the mound.

Collectively, the starting rotation has produced a -0.9 WAR, performing as arguably the worst rotation in the sport over the first two weeks.

Luckily for New York, reinforcements are going to be on the way soon, as positive updates were provided on some of the injured pitchers by manager Aaron Boone.

Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to make his final (if all goes well) rehab start tomorrow either at SWB or Somerset, wherever it’s not going to rain.

Luis Gil is expected to start a throwing program in the next several days, per Boone.

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) April 9, 2025

Schmidt is scheduled to take the mound on Thursday either at Double-A Somerset or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for what should be his final rehab start.

The team he pitches with will be determined by the weather, as he will be taking the mound wherever there isn’t any rain.

After recording a 2.85 ERA across 85.1 innings in 2024, he will present a massive upgrade for the rotation when he returns.

While Gil isn’t as close to returning to the Major League rotation, Boone did provide a positive update on his status, as well.

The talented righty is expected to start a throwing program in the coming days, which is the start of his rehab process and return to the mound.

It will take several weeks for him to ramp things up and be stretched out enough to start big league games, but it is an encouraging sign that he is taking the first steps of the process.

It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with the rotation once Clarke is able to return.

Will Warren has options remaining and could be the odd-man out. New York may not want to lose any more starting pitching depth by releasing Carrasco now. But his performance will have to improve as he isn’t getting the job done for the team.