Help is on the way. The New York Yankees made a flurry of roster moves ahead of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday that will provide some much-needed depth to their pitching staff.
The Yankees announced that starter Clarke Schmidt and reliever Ian Hamilton have both been been activated off of the 60-day injured list following minor league rehab assignments. In corresponding moves, pitchers Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi have been designated for assignment.
These are both huge moves for a Yankees team that desperately needs more quality arms and is gearing up for what they hope to be a deep postseason run.
Clarke Schmidt's return to the Yankees' rotation
Schmidt, who is starting for the Yankees on Saturday against the Cubs in his return from the 60-day injured list, is looking to keep pitching the way he was before going down with lat strain. The 28-year-old Schmidt had a 2.52 ERA through 60 2/3 innings before getting hurt and was looking like one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.
Schmidt looked solid during his minor league rehab assignment, posting a 3.18 ERA with 18 strikeouts through 11 1/3 innings. The hope is that he can come back without skipping a beat, and potentially even be a member of the Yankees' potential postseason starting rotation.
The Yankees got another boost to their starting rotation, as Luis Gil returned from the injured list as well and impressed during his first start back on Friday. Gil, one of the AL Rookie of the Year favorites, pitched six innings of one-hit shutout ball as the Yankees beat the Cubs 3-0.
With Schmidt and Gil both back, the Yankees rotation is looking a lot more stable heading into October.
Ian Hamilton's return to the bullpen
The Yankees bullpen, especially closer Clay Holmes, have been struggling lately. On Tuesday, during Holmes' last appearance, he blew a save against the Texas Rangers, giving up a walk-off grand slam to rookie Wyatt Langford.
While Hamilton is not expected to get many save opportunities, he could provide a stabilizing presence in the Yankees bullpen and give manager Aaron Boone more options during high-leverage, late-inning situations.
In 27 appearances with the Yankees before going down in June, the 29-year-old Hamilton had a 4.55 ERA through 29 2/3 innings. Hamilton was much more effective last season, with a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings. The Yankees hope would be that in this crucial stretch run, Hamilton could recapture some of what he showed in 2023.
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