The New York Yankees reinstated right-hander Clarke Schmidt from the injured list on Wednesday after a 14-month absence following elbow surgery. The 30-year-old had an internal brace procedure on his ulnar collateral ligament on July 11, 2025, and began minor league rehab on Aug. 29.
Schmidt, a 2017 first-round draft pick, was used exclusively as a starter since 2023. With Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole in the rotation, he will transition to a bullpen role for the postseason.
"It's been a long journey, a lot of work that goes into this. A lot of long days, early mornings," Schmidt said before the game against the Minnesota Twins. "I've just been itching to come back."
The Yankees designated multi-position player Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Cabrera missed most of the 2025 season with a severe ankle injury.
"I'm blessed to have a lot of guys on this team that you just admire and respect and love doing the job with on a daily basis," manager Aaron Boone said. "Oswaldo's right there at the top of that list."
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing