Clarke Schmidt is progressing in his recovery from his second career Tommy John surgery, taking a notable step Saturday by throwing his first simulated game. The right-handed pitcher expressed optimism about his progress, describing the outing as "great" and feeling "good" with his movement.
During the session, Schmidt threw 15 pitches and reached a velocity of 94 mph, though he did not throw any breaking balls on the advice of the medical staff. He plans to throw another simulated game in five days. Schmidt indicated he is following a similar rehabilitation approach to that of pitcher Gerrit Cole, focusing on fastballs initially.
Schmidt, 30, suffered the elbow injury last year while in the midst of a strong season where he posted a 3.32 ERA over 14 starts and 78 2/3 innings pitched. His potential role upon returning to the team remains undecided, with manager Aaron Boone stating it is yet to be determined whether Schmidt will be utilized as a starter or a reliever. Schmidt himself expressed a desire to contribute in any capacity to help the team succeed.
"That's the only thing on my mind right now. I want to help this team," Schmidt said. "Obviously I care about my career and the long term and stuff like that, but for me right now, I know how talented we are. I've seen the upside of this team throughout this season. So being a part of that, and being able to help in any way I can, when I lay my head down at night it's all I'm thinking about: How can I be an impact on this team?"
The Yankees anticipate adding pitching depth as Schmidt continues his rehabilitation process.