Clarke Schmidt Returns to Mound After Tommy John Surgery

Fourteen months and five days after undergoing Tommy John surgery, pitcher Clarke Schmidt returned to a major league mound on Wednesday. Schmidt's appearance came during the seventh inning of the Yankees' 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Schmidt struck out two batters and allowed two bloop hits in his first outing since his surgery. He described the experience as "emotional" after a long and challenging recovery process. His father was in attendance for the game.

During his 24-pitch effort, which included 13 strikes, Schmidt's fastball reached a velocity of 95.8 mph. The Yankees plan for him to fill a bullpen role, providing another option for high-leverage innings as the season progresses and into the playoffs.

Manager Aaron Boone noted that Schmidt appeared "pretty settled" on the mound and expressed optimism about his potential to improve. The team anticipates his innings will be limited to one or possibly two at a time, and he will not pitch on consecutive days.

In other Yankees injury news, Carlos Lagrange was activated from the injured list at Triple-A on Wednesday, two and a half months after being sidelined with a capsular sprain in his right shoulder. Lagrange threw a scoreless inning, striking out two batters and reaching 102.1 mph with his fastball. He was in the process of transitioning from starter to reliever when he sustained the injury. While a big league call-up this year appears unlikely, his return to game action is a positive development. Boone acknowledged that shoulder injuries can cause nervousness but stated that Lagrange has responded well to his downtime and subsequent buildup.

Trent Grisham, who is dealing with a right hamstring strain, has progressed in his running program and is incorporating baseball activities, according to Boone. However, a timeline for his return has not yet been established.