NEW YORK – It’s been a rough early spring for a Yankees’ rotation battered by injuries and underperformance – outside of $218 million lefty Max Fried.
Early Saturday afternoon, the Yankees placed Marcus Stroman on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation, following the right-hander’s first inning knockout Friday night.
To replace Stroman on the active roster, the Yankees called up right-hander Allan Winans from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Clarke Schmidt (shoulder fatigue) says he’s ready to come off the IL and join the Yankees’ rotation after his second successful minor league rehab start, but the club hadn’t told Schmidt of any specific plans as of Saturday morning.
Marcus Stroman joins list of Yankees starters on IL
Entering Saturday’s game, the Yankees starters’ 5.46 ERA over 13 games was the AL’s worst mark, and that includes Fried’s sparkling 1.56 ERA in three starts.
Giants’ batters reached an ineffective Stroman (11.57 ERA, 3 starts, 9.1 IP in 2025) for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning Friday night, a mercifully rain-shortened 9-1 win by San Francisco.
It wasn’t certain if Friday night’s cold, rainy conditions factored into Stroman’s knee issue, which he first reported to the team after he exited the game.
Stroman met with the Yankees’ team physician, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, prior to Saturday afternoon’s game against the Giants.
Now, Stroman joins Schmidt, Luis Gil (lat strain) and Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) on the list of Yankees’ starters on the IL since spring training.
Also, Yankees’ top pitching prospect Chase Hampton underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in late February, and the club didn’t possess a wealth of rotation depth to begin with in 2025.
However, the club quickly went from a starting surplus to a deficit; prior to Gil’s injury (he might return by July), Stroman was briefly the sixth starter on a five-man staff.
Until the Gil injury, Stroman was the subject of trade discussions, but his contract was seen as a hindrance; he earns $18 million this season with another $18 million for 2026 should he reached 140 innings this year.
Clarke Schmidt ready to join Yankees’ rotation
Winans, 29, has big-league experience with the Atlanta Braves, posting a combined 7.20 ERA in eight starts across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, totaling 40 innings.
In camp with the Yankees this spring training, Winans – a former 17th-round Mets draft pick – yielded eight runs on 14 hits and nine walks in five appearances (14.1 innings).
Winans made one relief appearance this year at Triple-A, giving up one run in 2.2 innings.
Schmidt declared his readiness Saturday morning, two days after his latest rehab start.
“My last two starts have been productive down there (at Class AA) Somerset,’’ said Schmidt, who was “happy with the results and the stuff and the command and everything that goes with it.’’
Schmidt was initially delayed in camp by a back issue, then developed shoulder fatigue in mid-March which impacted his recovery between starts.
“Obviously frustrating, I want to be out there competing with my guys,’’ said Schmidt, whose goal is to “make sure I’m able to…play at a high level consistently and be (someone) that these guys rely on.’’
Asked if he felt a sense of urgency to help rescue a staff that’s been underwater, Schmidt said he felt that sense “regardless of how we’re doing or how anybody’s performing.
“I’m eager to get out there.’’