TAMPA – Clark Schmidt said his hopes for Saturday 2021 were sidelined with an elbow injury following his first bullpen season of spring last week.
After suffering a normal extensor tendon strain, the Yankees right-hander closed, similar to a tennis elbow – an unusual injury to a pitcher.
“It was definitely a setback and very disappointing for me,” Schmidt said. He said, “It was one of those offers that I had never made before. It is just another mountain to climb. “
The 25-year-old entered the spring hoping to compete for a fifth place position in the Yankees’ rotation and is still expected to be a factor in the majors, though that will no longer be the case as he prefers.
Schmidt is unsure which led to the injury, but some reshuffling for his offenses program – including more work with weighted balls – may have contributed to this.
He said he used weighted balls earlier in his career, but was barred following the 2017 Tommy John surgery.
Although he was not throwing at Tampa, Schmidt said he was in constant communication with the Yankees and that all changes to his workouts with the pitching coach were made “in conjunction”.
He had hoped that his routines might help his mechanics, including shortening the path of his lower body as well as his arm.
Schmidt was pleased with the initial results with an increase in velocity from 92–94 mph to 95–97 mph, but he admits that after throwing about a dozen bullpen sessions before spring training, he was in his first of spring. May overexert itself in the session. Training – especially since he started throwing in descent compared to earlier years.
“I felt amazing [coming into camp], ”Said Schmidt. “I like the best I’ve come to camp, as far as an arm and body point of view.”
But in that first bullpen session, Schmidt said he experienced some discomfort about the halfway point and his elbow tightened later, limiting his range of motion.
He likely won’t pick a ball for at least another two weeks and won’t be ready in time for Opening Day, but Schmidt was confident that he would still be able to “enter significant amounts of innings and contribute a lot” ” this season.
“It could have been much worse,” said Schmidt, who may use weighted balls in a “more controlled environment” in the future. “I want to be smart, because it’s a muscle injury and they can swing.”
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