The New York Yankees are set to get right-hander Clarke Schmidt back after a 14-month rehabilitation process.
Manager Aaron Boone said Schmidt will be activated from the 60-day injured list during the Yankees’ road series against the Minnesota Twins, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reported on X.
Schmidt has not pitched in the majors since July 3, 2025. He missed the final months of last season and the first 151 games of the 2026 campaign while recovering from his elbow injury.
Schmidt underwent an internal brace procedure on his right UCL in July 2025. His lengthy recovery has now reached its final stage, with the Yankees preparing to use him in a different role.
Rather than returning to the rotation, Schmidt will work out of the bullpen. The timing of his activation does not give him enough opportunity to build back to a typical starter’s workload.
The 30-year-old has primarily worked as a starter over the past two seasons. His return could now give Boone another option for higher-leverage situations as the Yankees prepare for October.
Schmidt completed five rehab appearances between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He posted a 3.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and one walk over 7.0 innings.
His last healthy major league season came in 2025. Schmidt went 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 14 starts.
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The Yankees have already clinched a postseason berth and entered Tuesday three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
Adding Schmidt gives New York another experienced arm as the regular season enters its final stretch.
The Yankees will now determine how much they can use Schmidt before the playoffs while continuing to manage his workload after the long layoff.
