ANAHEIM — The Yankees starting pitchers have responded to the absence of ace Gerrit Cole by putting together a historic winning streak that continues on this West Coast road trip. Now they must take on a new challenge.
Clarke Schmidt was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right latitudinal injury before Thursday’s game against the Angels and was retroactive to Monday, marking the first time a Yankees starting pitcher has been injured in-season this year.
“Obviously, Clarke’s one of those guys that’s pitched well thus far,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s unfortunate for him, but hopefully we can rest him up, heal him up and get him back at some point.”
Schmidt underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which revealed a muscle strain, Boone said. He added that Schmidt likely won’t pitch for four to six weeks. Schmidt was examined by Dr. Neil ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Given that Schmidt needs to build up his stamina before his return, he likely won’t be on a major league mound until at least August.
Right-hander Cody Morris was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a roster shakeup. Boone said right-hander Cody Poteet was promoted to the starter Saturday when Schmidt was scheduled to face the Giants in San Francisco.
Schmidt last pitched Sunday against the Padres in San Diego, allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits over five innings in the Bombers’ 5-2 loss.
“It just came out of the blue. I’ve been feeling great this year,” Schmidt said. “I definitely felt it early in the bullpen, but things just happen as a pitcher and as a player. Little things happen throughout the season. It definitely happened throughout the game. But for me, it was just one of those things that I felt would just sort of take care of itself.”
Schmidt, 28, is 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA in 11 starts this season.
Behind Schmidt, Lewis Hill, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes, the Bombers’ starting rotation is filling the void left by Cole, who has yet to pitch in a major league game this season since injuring his right elbow in March.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Yankees starting pitchers have pitched at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer in 16 consecutive games, the longest streak by any major league team since at least 1893.
Cole, meanwhile, is progressing well in his recovery. The right-hander threw three innings and 43 pitches during batting practice Thursday in Tampa, Fla., and his next appearance could come in a minor league rehab game.
“That’s definitely a possibility,” Boone said. “We’ll just have to wait and see how he recovers. I talked to Gerrit and everything seemed good today. He was pretty happy with his game and how he was feeling.”
