The New York Yankees’ starting pitching rotation that helped secure the franchise’s 41st World Series appearance in 2024 will look drastically different in 2025. Ace Gerrit Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young winner, is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while left-hander Nestor Cortes was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for closer Devin Williams.
Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is sidelined for at least three months due to a high-grade lat strain. Marcus Stroman, whose poor performance late last season kept him off the Yankees’ postseason roster, is expected to return amid the team’s pitching injuries.
Additionally, the Yankees’ second-ranked pitching prospect, Chase Hampton, is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Another Starter May Miss Opening Day
Now, another Yankees starter, Clarke Schmidt, appears likely to miss the start of the 2025 season. The 2017 first-round draft pick out of South Carolina, initially slated as the Yankees’ fifth starter, may now slot in as the third starter but has been dealing with a “cranky” back and a sore shoulder, which forced him to be scratched from a scheduled start last week. The 29-year-old Schmidt has yet to take the mound in a spring training game since then.
On Friday, manager Aaron Boone said it was “possible” Schmidt could miss the season opener. Despite claims that Schmidt’s back and shoulder are improving, he remains behind other starters in his throwing program. During a live batting practice session on Thursday, Schmidt only threw 32 pitches, a report from the New York Post revealed.
“For comparison, Max Fried threw 32 pitches in a two-inning live batting practice session on Feb. 20, a full month before Schmidt’s session on Thursday,” the Post noted.
As the Yankees prepare for the season opener against the Brewers on March 27, Schmidt is expected to stay behind in Tampa to continue building up his pitch count to 70 or 80, rather than risk being left short-handed.
Bizarre Theory Behind Stanton’s Elbow Pain
The Yankees also gave an odd update on Giancarlo Stanton’s injury status. Stanton is reportedly dealing with painful tendons in both elbows, prompting him to receive PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections to avoid season-ending surgery. The 35-year-old slugger is in the 11th year of his 13-year, $325 million contract with the Yankees.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared a strange theory circulating within the organization regarding the cause of Stanton’s elbow issues. According to Heyman, the theory suggests that a bat switch recommended to Stanton last season may have led to the injury, though Yankees doctors dismiss this idea as absurd.
“There’s a theory that Giancarlo Stanton’s bat might be the cause of his elbow tendon issues, and while Yankees doctors reportedly consider this theory outlandish, it’s still making the rounds,” Heyman wrote. “It seems a bat change was suggested to Stanton last year, and the individual who recommended it is no longer with the team.”
Empire Sports Media’s Alexander Wilson highlighted how even minor adjustments, like switching bats, can disrupt a player’s swing mechanics and lead to significant injuries. “In Stanton’s case, this adjustment may have unknowingly put additional strain on his elbows,” Wilson explained. “Sometimes, even the smallest changes can have big consequences.”
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