Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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

Will Warren the odd man out?

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Clarke Schmidt is nearly back, and that’s great news for a Yankees rotation that’s been trying to patch holes since Opening Day. The challenge now? Deciding who makes way.

Schmidt looked like his old self in his latest rehab outing for Double-A Somerset on April 10, tossing four shutout innings with four strikeouts, no walks, and just three hits allowed. He threw 61 pitches, 45 for strikes, a crisp, efficient outing that likely sealed his ticket back to the Bronx.

Clarke Schmidt threw 4 scoreless innings in his rehab start for Somerset tonight

4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (61 pitches)

3 of his 4 strikeouts came on curveballs looking 👀 pic.twitter.com/nZdXkTmmHU
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 10, 2025

That return, expected as early as next week, adds another layer of complication to a rotation already juggling injuries, underperformance, and roster constraints.

ALSO READ: Clarke Schmidt Injury Update: When Will Yankees Pitcher Return Amidst Rotation Troubles?

The Yankees have already lost their ace, Gerrit Cole, for the season following Tommy John surgery, and Luis Gil isn’t expected back for a while as he deals with a strained lat. For now, Max Fried, the team’s big free agent addition, has been the lone consistent bright spot, entering his April 9 start against Detroit with a 2.61 ERA. The rest of the rotation hasn’t been as reliable.

Carlos Rodón, once expected to help anchor the staff, is struggling with a 5.19 ERA. Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco haven’t inspired much confidence either. Carrasco, in particular, has failed to replicate the sharp form he displayed during spring training.

That leaves Will Warren as the most likely pitcher to be displaced once Schmidt returns. The rookie right-hander has shown flashes, but his inconsistencies, coupled with the fact that he has Minor League options remaining, make him the simplest roster casualty.

According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, Warren is the leading candidate to be moved out of the rotation. Carrasco’s experience and contractual situation give him a level of protection; he can refuse a demotion, and almost certainly would. Stroman, despite his slow start, is on a sizeable contract that likely shields him for the time being.

Warren, meanwhile, has made two starts so far, one encouraging, the other less so. But he has another opportunity to make a statement on Saturday. A strong outing could force the Yankees to think twice before sending him down.

Schmidt’s return would not only bring stability to a shaky staff but also offer hope that the Yankees’ rotation, so far defined by attrition, might finally turn a corner.

Behind the scenes, the front office is also keeping tabs on its upper-level arms. One name worth watching is Cam Schlittler, a promising right-hander currently at Double-A who could enter the picture later in the season if more help is needed.

For now, though, all eyes are on the short-term call: who gives way when Clarke Schmidt steps back in?

Mohsin Baldiwala

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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.