The Yankees made several changes to their roster today. Anthony Rizzo, the first baseman, was put on the 10-day injured list because of a right forearm fracture, which was initially reported yesterday. Additionally, Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet, both right-handers, were placed on the 15-day injured list. Hamilton’s placement is retroactive to June 17 and is due to a right lat strain, while Poteet’s is retroactive to June 15 because of a right triceps strain. To fill these spots, the team called up left-hander Clayton Andrews and added left-hander Anthony Misiewicz and catcher/infielder Ben Rice to the roster.
Regarding the 40-man roster, the Yankees initially had one spot available which they filled with Misiewicz and Rice, but they created another vacancy by moving right-hander Clarke Schmidt to the 60-day injured list. Currently, the 40-man roster is at capacity. However, the team intends to bring back right-hander Gerrit Cole from the 60-day injured list tomorrow, necessitating another roster spot to be opened up for him.
Poteet was brought up a few weeks ago to fill in the rotation spot vacated by Schmidt’s injury. He has performed well with a 2.14 earned run average this year, having made four solid starts since his call-up. Despite his strong performance, it was expected that Poteet would be sent back to the minors to make room for Cole’s return. This decision was influenced by the impressive form shown by Luis Gil, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, and Marcus Stroman throughout the season.
Instead of being sent back to the minors, Poteet has been placed on the injured list. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, he won’t be throwing for at least the next week or two, with plans to reassess after that period. Despite the Yankees having the strongest rotation in the league this year, boasting a collective 2.90 ERA that leads the majors even before Gerrit Cole’s return, the absence of both Schmidt and Poteet due to injury leaves their pitching depth somewhat depleted.
Clayton Beeter, who is on the 40-man roster, appears to be dealing with an injury since he hasn’t pitched at Triple-A since May 15. Meanwhile, Yoendrys Gómez, also on the roster, has posted a 3.13 ERA in Triple-A, but he’s struggled with a high walk rate of 13.9%. If the Yankees face another rotation injury, their depth could become a concern, although there’s hope that Schmidt and/or Poteet could recover before this becomes critical.
As for Hamilton, his injury seems to be even more significant as he won’t throw for three to four weeks, per Kirschner on X. He’ll likely have to build back up after such an absence so he might end up missing a couple of months, depending on how things develop in the interim.
The righty emerged as a key piece of the Yankee bullpen last year, tossing 58 innings with a 2.64 ERA. His 10.9% walk rate was a bit on the high side but he struck out 28.9% of batters faced while getting grounders on 55.3% of balls in play.
His ERA has increased to 4.55 this year, possibly due to his injury. After his June 6 appearance, he had a 2.81 ERA but has since given up seven earned runs in four innings. If the lat issue began bothering him around that time, it might explain his recent struggles. During his absence, pitchers such as Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, Caleb Ferguson, and Michael Tonkin will support closer Clay Holmes. Most contending teams seek bullpen reinforcements before the trade deadline, and the Yankees, who currently hold the best record in baseball, will likely be looking to make such additions.
As for Schmidt, he was placed on the injured list May 27 with a right lat strain and will now be ineligible to be reinstated until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be July 26. Shortly after he was placed on the IL, the Yanks announced that he would be shut down for four to six weeks. Even if he starts throwing in early July, he’ll surely need a few weeks of rehab to build back up to a starter’s workload.
