Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Marcus Stroman Can’t Escape First in Disastrous Outing, Sent for X-Rays

Marcus Stroman was booed off the mound.

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Yankees’ starting rotation has been in survival mode since Opening Day, and on Friday night, Marcus Stroman pushed that situation into full-blown emergency.

Stroman failed to escape the first inning against the San Francisco Giants, giving up five runs on four hits and three walks while recording just two outs. Manager Aaron Boone had to pull him before the inning was over after the Giants batted around and left the Yankees scrambling to the bullpen before fans had even settled into their seats.

It was a disastrous outing, one that might have larger implications for Stroman’s role moving forward.

The tone for the night was set early. Stroman allowed a leadoff double, followed it up with a walk, and then served up a three-run home run to Jung Hoo Lee. Two more walks and a LaMonte Wade Jr. double later, the Yankees were down five and forced into damage control.

Marcus Stroman vs. the Giants tonight:

0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 46 P

Stroman has an 11.57 ERA in three starts this season pic.twitter.com/5wUd4QB8F8
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 11, 2025

His left knee was “bugging” him Aaron Boone said after the game. The right-hander was sent for X-rays and further imaging. No timeline or diagnosis was immediately made available.

ALSO READ: With Clarke Schmidt Set to Return, Who Gets Squeezed Out of the Yankees’ Rotation?

Regardless of the medical results, it’s hard to ignore the broader concerns. Stroman’s stuff has been trending in the wrong direction. According to The Athletic, he entered Friday’s start near the bottom of all starters in Stuff+, a metric that evaluates the raw physical quality of a pitcher’s arsenal. Without elite velocity or sharp movement, Stroman needs pinpoint control to succeed, and on Friday, he had none of it.

Marcus Stroman is Leading an Unwanted List

Since June 1 of last season, no MLB pitcher with at least 90 innings thrown has a worse ERA than Stroman’s 6.38. The Yankees, clearly aware of his decline, didn’t use him in the playoffs last year and spent much of the offseason exploring trades to unload his salary. No deal materialized.

Instead, they’re left holding the bag on a two-year, $37 million commitment. The contract includes a vesting option for 2026, $18 million if Stroman reaches 140 innings this year. Based on current form, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Yankees work to ensure he never gets close to that mark.

At the moment, Stroman’s presence in the rotation looks more like a liability than a necessity. The numbers speak volumes: In 47 1/3 innings pitched by starters not named Max Fried, the Yankees’ rotation has posted a brutal 7.23 ERA. Fried, the prized offseason signing, is single-handedly holding things together.

Help is on the way, or at least, that’s the hope. Clarke Schmidt is expected to rejoin the rotation as early as next week after an impressive rehab start for Double-A Somerset. Will Warren had been the presumed candidate to make way, largely due to his Minor League options, but Stroman’s implosion might shift the calculus. Warren has shown flashes in limited outings, and while he’s still inexperienced, he may now be the safer bet.

Marcus Stroman was asked about the possibility of moving to the bullpen:

"I'm a starter. I won't pitch in the bullpen. I'm a starter" pic.twitter.com/M0N1kJGza2
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 14, 2025

In his first media appearance of the year, Stroman emphasized repeatedly that he sees himself as a major league starter, saying it 11 times in a 10-minute press conference. Technically, he’s right. He’s started nearly all of his 264 career appearances. But after Friday night, that title may soon come with an asterisk.

Marcus Stroman

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.