Yankees' Clarke Schmidt Shares Recovery Progress and Comeback Hopes

The pitcher aims to rejoin the team's major league roster in the second half of the 2025 season.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt is showing encouraging signs of recovery seven months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. He began spring training this week throwing from 75 feet and plans to increase the distance soon, with the goal of returning to pitching near the end of spring training and rejoining the Yankees' major league roster in the second half of the 2025 season.

Why it matters

The Yankees have shown patience with Schmidt as he works through his recovery, understanding the value of his consistent and effective pitching when healthy. His projected return could provide a significant boost to the Yankees' rotation during the critical second half of the season and the playoff push.

The details

Schmidt's promising 2024 season was interrupted by a lat strain that sidelined him for two months, and his momentum was halted again in 2025 after a forearm strain led to a second Tommy John surgery, cutting his season short. Now, as he approaches his 30th birthday, Schmidt is cautiously optimistic about his return timeline and expressed a desire to be fully ready for the playoffs and to make a meaningful contribution when it matters most.

  • Schmidt began spring training this week throwing from 75 feet.
  • He plans to increase the distance soon.
  • Schmidt aims to return to pitching near the end of spring training.
  • He hopes to rejoin the Yankees' major league roster in the second half of the 2025 season.

The players

Clarke Schmidt

A Yankees starting pitcher who has delivered strong performances over the past two seasons when healthy, posting a 3.07 ERA across 30 starts with 166 strikeouts in 164 innings.

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What they’re saying

“But we want to make sure we put this all behind us, so I'm 100% for the playoffs. I want to make an impact at the best time.”

— Clarke Schmidt, Yankees pitcher (NJ.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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