Yankees Get Positive News After Cam Schlittler Scare

So far, the outlook for Opening Day for the New York Yankees young pitcher is good.

Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) pitches during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The outlook for Cam Schlittler in 2026 is one of the few positives of an offseason many consider underwhelming for the New York Yankees. While they did not fortify an already good 94-win team, covering up the holes that ailed a leaky bullpen last season, Schlittler was one of the big things to look forward to. It's easy to see some all-star potential there with a full season of Schlittler after what he showed in the postseason against the Red Sox and Blue Jays.

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) walks in from the bullpen prior to game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

What has derailed Schlittler — though the Yankees aren't worried about it — is a lat injury. Schlittler said it popped up last season, disappeared after the postseason, and popped up again this Spring. When manager Aaron Boone was asked about it, he gave an optimistic update on his young pitcher.

"I expect him to be good," the manager said, according to the Daily News' Gary Phillips, after their win against the Braves. "I don't think he'll be to 80-90 pitches yet."

Boone went on to say that in the early goings, the Yankees will ease Schlittler back to a full workload. He'll start with a 70 pitch limit and work his way up from there.

One thing that should help with ramping Schlittler up is the schedule. According to Boone, the way it works out, they may not even need a fifth starter to start 2026.

"Even if you're in a piggyback situation for a time or two, sign me up for that," the manager added.

EIGHT SCORELESS FOR CAM SCHLITTLER! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/Y62iIFJSBo

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2025

Managing Schlittler's Innings

Last season, Schlittler saw the most innings pitched of his career, be it in the pros or in college. He had 76.2 innings between AA and AAA. Then Schlittler threw 73 innings at the big league level.

The most innings he threw came the year before. In 2024, Schlittler tossed 120 innings between High A, AA, and AAA. That marked the only other time he threw more than 100 innings.

Even if Schlittler were 100%, one would guess that Schlittler's innings would still have been managed at some point. It doesn't seem like the Yankees would make him jump to 200 innings or 30+ starts right away if the opportunity to do so was there for him. That could happen in the future, barring any more health scares, but not this year.

Last season, Schlittler posted a 2.96 ERA in 14 games started. He hopes to improve on that, as well as his workload. Schlittler has all the tools to do so.

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