NEW YORK - Yankee pitcher Clarke Schmidt started Saturday against Tampa Bay Rays and was scratched by soreness on the left and replaced by Ryan Yarbrough.
Schmidt said the injury had nothing to do with right rotator cuff tendonitis, which put him between his only spring training outing on March 11 and his season debut on April 16.
Friday's MRI showed no damage, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he made the decision after Max Fried beat the Rays in a 7-inning blow in the series opener.
"I told them I was happy today," Schmidt said. "I actually left the court and expected to start today and then Max delved into the game, and the bullpen was motivated."
Schmidt was 0-1, with 5.52 ERA for ERA in three games and 14 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old right-hander said he felt even more sore after throwing a season-high 90 against Toronto on April 27 and hopes he will start on Tuesday night against San Diego New York. The Yankees have a rest day next Thursday, allowing Schmidt to get his fifth day off before pitching in Seattle.
"Clark was just a little worried, especially what he went through, a little behind, everything popped up little things," Boone said. "So, yes, it's definitely a relief and he should be able to move forward."
Yarbrough, a 33-year-old left-hander, fell down and released 53 courts in a 4-3 loss in Baltimore Monday to relieve Will Warren.
"It's very different from the look you usually see," Boone said.
Yarbrough started pitching for Tampa Bay from 2018-22, making one start and two relief appearances at the 2022 World Series.
“We asked a lot of characters,” said Kevin Cash, Rays manager. “He has brought us a lot of success and he has really invested a lot of big things in us.”
Cash said Boone let him know about the changes in text messages and phone calls on Friday night. This caused cash to change his roster.
"I think most people know that if it were Schmidt, we would run a bunch of left-handed guys, but then we had to back down," Cash said. "In 25 minutes after the game, all of this was sorted out in 20 minutes."
Right-handed Marcus Stroman held a bullpen meeting on Friday since April 11.
“He did some injections there, trying to get rid of the last discomfort,” Boone said. “I don’t know the accumulation.”