Clarke Schmidt solid, Oswald Peraza returns in Yankees’ Grapefruit League loss to Red Sox
And just like that, Clarke Schmidt likely has been catapulted into a concrete rotation spot to begin the season.
With news of Carlos Rodon beginning the 2023 campaign on the injured list due to a strained forearm muscle, Schmidt is the front-runner to be the fifth starter for the Bombers. The 27-year-old took the ball first in the Bombers’ 11-3 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
Schmidt allowed three hits and two runs over two innings while striking out three. The former first-round pick continued to flash the newly developed cutter that figures to be a factor for him this season.
With Rodon and Frankie Montas — who underwent shoulder surgery on Feb. 21 — hurt, the organization’s pitching depth will be tested out of the gate.
Schmidt says he and the rest of the pitching staff will be up for the challenge.
“[The Yankees] pitching development is the real deal,” Schmidt told the YES Network after his outing. “And obviously we have a lot of depth and guys that can step up and have the ability to throw strikes and get outs.
“So, I’ll be excited to watch these guys. We have so many guys who have great stuff in this organization. It’s like everybody throws 100 and has crazy sinkers and stuff like that. So it will be exciting to have some young guys step up and I’m sure everybody is very well capable of doing that.”
Schmidt has made just five career starts for the Bombers from 2020-2022. The righty figures to take on a much bigger role entering this season.
PERAZA BACK IN
Oswaldo Peraza was back in the lineup after being held out of action after he rolled his ankle stepping on a base on March 2 against the Pirates.
However, the shortstop competition was back in full gear on Thursday.
Peraza finished 1-for-3 including a double down the left-field line, his first extra-base hit of the spring. The shortstop also turned two double plays with fellow competitor and second basemen for the day Anthony Volpe — who was 0-for-3 on the afternoon.
The 22-year-old is now 3-for-12 (.250) on the spring. Peraza entered the spring as the favorite to win the position battle, however, Volpe’s play thus far may have thrown a wrench in the situation.
“Let’s put it this way, Anthony Volpe’s doing everything he needs to do,” Brian Cashman said before Thursday’s game at the Yankees’ spring complex. “Now we’ll see how, ultimately, he measures up compared to everybody else in our internal dialogues. That [conversation] hasn’t happened yet.”
MARTIAN LIFTOFF AGAIN
Jasson Dominguez is making quite the impression in his first major league spring training.
The 20-year-old entered the game for Aaron Judge in the bottom of the third inning and homered from the left side in the ninth inning. It was the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect’s third blast of the spring as he is now slashing .438/.526/.1000 in Grapefruit League play.
The outfielder figures to start the season at Double-A Somerset. However, should a breakout season be on the horizon for the highly-touted prospect, he could find himself on a fast track to the Bronx.
TRAINER’S ROOM
The injury bug has already made its way into the Bombers’ clubhouse. Harrison Bader will undergo testing on his left oblique after feeling discomfort during Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals, manager Aaron Boone told reporters after Thursday’s game.
Bader came home to the Bronx last season in a trade deadline deal with the Cardinals in exchange for Jordan Montgomery.
The 28-year-old arrived in a walking boot as he was in the midst of his recovery from plantar fasciitis and didn’t make his club debut until Sept. 20.
Now the Bombers hold their breath as they await test results exactly three weeks from Opening Day.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Yankees will take on the Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., on Friday afternoon.
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