TORONTO – The Yankees faced yet another setback when Clark Schmidt left the game early on Thursday after just three innings and 55 pitches.
The announcement that followed was concerning: tension in his right forearm was reported.
As the night unfolded, the Yankees fell to the Blue Jays 8-5, marking their fourth consecutive loss as the Blue Jays climbed to first place.
Now sitting at 48-39, the Yankees are headed back to New York to gear up for the Subway Series, trailing the Blue Jays (49-38) and the Rays in the standings after a rough stretch of 20 games.
This latest injury is particularly worrisome for Schmidt, who has had his share of injuries throughout his career, including Tommy John’s surgery back in 2017. The hope is that this new issue won’t derail an otherwise promising season, especially since he could become the third Yankees starter to spend significant time on the sidelines this year.
The 29-year-old right-handed pitcher was already dealing with a slow recovery between starts, which had provided the Yankees some extra rest leading up to Saturday’s game.
Previously, he had a strong outing of 103 pitches, flirting with a no-hitter for seven innings, but didn’t have the chance to complete it due to pitch count restrictions.
His development as a reliable starter, alongside Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, has been vital, particularly in a season where the Yankees have struggled to get consistent performances from other pitchers. Geritt Cole has been a question mark, and Lewis Gill won’t be available until August.
Ryan Yarbrough is another name, but he was sidelined due to an oblique strain and hadn’t resumed throwing as of Thursday.
If Schmidt ends up on the injured list, the Yankees aren’t exactly overflowing with options to replace him.
They managed to leverage a holiday on Monday to technically enter the All-Star break without needing a fifth starter.
Otherwise, they might look to Alan Winans, who had a rough outing against the Reds last week.
There’s also the looming question of whether Schmidt’s injury might push the Yankees to acquire another starting pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline, depending on the severity of his condition.
Tests could be on the horizon for Schmidt in the coming days. While he didn’t show any immediate signs of discomfort during the game, his performance slipped as he gave up three runs, including a two-run home run to George Springer on a 92 mph sinker.
The Yankees managed to tie the game at one point, but struggled to maintain momentum as reliever Clayton Beter warmed up in the bullpen.
Beter, however, didn’t have an easy outing. He walked his first batter and quickly lost control, allowing a lengthy at-bat that culminated in a two-run double for the Blue Jays.
Addison Burger extended the lead to 6-3 with a home run in the sixth inning.
The Yankees made an effort to fight back against the Blue Jays’ bullpen, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. hitting an RBI double and Anthony Volpe contributing another RBI through a groundout.
Yet, an opportunity to tie the game slipped away when pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton drew a corner runner.
Things slowed down for the Yankees in the eighth inning. Aaron Judge was intentionally walked, setting a franchise record for the series, while Cody Bellinger faced a full count before getting hit by a pitch on his left forearm.
In an odd turn, as Bellinger was preparing to make contact with the ball, catcher Alejandro Kirk grabbed it from the third baseline and threw it to first for the out.
Springer continued to pour it on for the Blue Jays, ending the series with a solid performance.
