Clarke Schmidt returns to the mound Wednesday night in what should be a solid pitching boost for the New York Yankees. Schmidt spent the first two weeks of the season on the injured list after needing extra time to ramp up his shoulder.
That same shoulder limited the young righty to 16 starts in 2024, though he went 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA. His sinker touched 96 mph on his rehab assignment, so all signs point to a healthy arm.
Schmidt will take the mound tonight as the Yankees go for a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. The Royals will counter with lefty Kris Bubic.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
TV: Amazon Prime
Run Line: Yankees -1.5
Pitching Matchup: Kris Bubic (2-1, 0.96 ERA) vs Clarke Schmidt (Season Debut). It’s been a great start to the year for Bubic, who is back in the rotation after having Tommy John surgery in 2023 and recovering as a reliever the following year. It seems to have worked, given his stellar 0.96 ERA ranks second in baseball behind Texas’s Tyler Mahle. Better yet, Bubic’s 2.56 FIP proves he’s lucky, but not grossly overachieving either.
Bubic has a 3.45 career ERA versus the Yankees and does a good job keeping them off the bases, but has no wins against New York. He’ll need his teammates to score hard and early against the returning Schmidt if KC wants to avoid the sweep.
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X-Factor: Yankee bullpen. New York could really use at least five innings from Clarke Schmidt tonight. Not because it’d assure them his shoulder is healthy, but because the bullpen could use a break. Sensational setup man Luke Weaver and closer Devin Williams each pitched in the series’ first two games and likely aren’t available tonight.
Thus, who steps up in the high-leverage spots? Ryan Yarbrough and Yoendrys Gomez are the likely mop-up arms. That leaves a mix of Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Ian Hamilton, and Mark Leiter Jr. Certainly not an incapable bunch, but nowhere close to the dominance of Weaver & Williams, Bullpen Arms at the Ready.
Prediction: Wind is in the forecast for the game, so don’t be shocked if it’s a low-scoring finale. Clarke Schmidt, on a limit of maybe 75-80 pitches, should get through four or so innings. Similarly, Bubic’s fastball-changeup combination should mean lots of grounders and soft contact if he continues pitching well.
Long story short, this game is the Yankees’ to lose. Their lineup is enough to keep them alive in any close game, so tonight really rests on the bullpen. If you’re browsing New York sports betting apps, picking the Royals to cover could be smart along with picking the over (5.5) on Bubic’s strikeouts. Royals win 4-3
