There’s news on Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery last July. Schmidt (age 30) had the operation on July 11th, 2025, and missed the remainder of that season and the first several months of this season. According to Yankees insider and beat writer Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, “Clarke when asked about a return timeline, he did say that September might be a little late,” Phillips reports.
He also adds that Clarke told him he’s not at the point of “circling any dates on the calendar”, reports Phillips. Yesterday, June 2nd, Schmidt did in fact “throw a bullpen at Yankee Stadium with the hope of starting to face hitters within the next month”, states Phillips. This all points to good progress, as Clarke Schmidt has been approaching nearly 11 months since undergoing the well known Tommy John Surgery.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees reacts after coming out of the game during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on June 16, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Angels won 1-0. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Tommy John Recovery Timeline
Tommy John recovery usually takes 12-18 months and can vary depending on the individual, according to The Cleveland Clinic. For example, Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery on March 11th, 2024. Cole, who’s currently 35 years old, including rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues, returned to a big league mound on May 22nd, 2026. This put Cole at a 14-month timeline from surgery to being fully back in action. But just because Cole doing it in 14 months doesn’t mean Schmidt will.
The Tommy John recovery timeline is basically a ballpark estimate. Schmidt in 2025 posted a 4-4 record with a 3.32 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched before being shut down that summer, a move that would eventually require season-ending surgery. Schmidt’s best season, arguably, came in 2024, when he posted a 2.85 ERA but logged only 85.1 innings. Schmidt has gone 100 innings or more only once in six years, in 2023, when he threw 159 innings with a 4.64 ERA in 33 starts.
Schmidt has been effective at times out of the Yankees’ rotation, profiling as a mid- to back-end starter, but he’s had trouble staying on the field consistently in previous seasons. Before the torn UCL in 2025 requiring surgery, Schmidt also dealt with forearm, hamstring, rotator cuff, lat, and foot-related injuries spanning 2021-25. Schmidt’s average fastball velocity is 93.4 mph, states Baseball Savant. Still, he throws an array of different pitches to challenge hitters, which include a cutter, knuckle curve, slider, sweeper, sinker, and four-seam fastball, according to Baseball Savant.
Schmidt Is Soft Contact Type Of Starting Pitcher
Schmidt has generally relied more on generating soft contact rather than swings and misses. He ranked in the 78th and 86th percentiles for barrel and hard hit percentage from opposing hitters in 2025, per Baseball Savant. He also ranked in the 79th percentile for average exit velocity against him in 2025 at just 88.1 mph, according to Baseball Savant.
While Schmidt’s recovery timeline and ultimate return are still somewhat up in the air, this is encouraging news for a Yankees team that could use all the pitching reinforcements it can get for an inevitable playoff push. It’s even possible that, with the Yankees’ bullpen woes, if Clarke does make it back in time before the end of the season, he could maybe become an option out of the Yankees’ bullpen? Only time will tell, but so far, the news has been good for Clarke Schmidt in this next stage of his recovery.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Yankees’ Insider Provides Clarke Schmidt Update appeared first on HEAVY.