Despite the fact that the Yankees boast the best ERA in MLB, pitching has not been an area of particular ease this season. The misfortune began before the season even began, as defending Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole came down with an elbow injury that continues to sideline him.
On May 30, it was announced that another starter, Clarke Schmidt, would be heading to the IL. Schmidt was placed on the 15-day IL retroactivated to May 27 with a lat strain. Now, the team must find an arm to replace Schmidt in the team's rotation.
Today, we examine some pitchers who the Yankees could use in the rotation to cover for Clarke Schimdt.
Three players who could ascend to the Yankees' rotation
#1 Ian Hamilton
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Right-hander Ian Hamilton has been a very dependable member of the Yankees bullpen this season, pitching to a 3.09 ERA across 23.1 innings. The former Chicago White Sox draft pick started three games for the Yankees last season.
As Hamilton is on the roster, letting him start a game or two while Clarke Schmidt recovers may be the path of least resistance for skipper Aaron Boone.
"Ian Hamilton has five strikeouts through two scoreless innings" - Talkin' Yanks
#2 Yoendrys Gomez
Because Yoendrys Gomez was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre three days ago, the 24 year-old Venezuelan cannot be recalled unless he's directly replacing an injured player.
"Yoendrys Gomez is finally getting the respect he needs." - Post Parm Volpe
However, this might give Gomez a chance to flex his muscles and gain more exposure.
Gomez' sole appearance in MLB this year came for the Yankees on May 24 against the San Diego Padres, in which he struck out the side in his only inning of work. A lack of starting experience at both the MLB and MiLB levels may be a cause for concern, though.
#3 Luke Weaver
Although current Yankees reliever Luke Weaver has not started a game for the team this season, the 30 year-old right hander has plenty of experience opening games.
In 2023, Weaver logged 29 starts as a member of the Cincinnati Reds and the Seattle Mariners. In his early career, Weaver was used almost exclusively as a starting pitcher, with varying levels of success.
"I still can’t believe this play from Luke Weaver. I feel like 5% of pitchers even attempt this, let alone execute it." - Mariner Muse
