Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt was back on the mound on Wednesday.
Schmidt, on his way back from his second Tommy John surgery back in July 2025, made his fourth rehab appearance Wednesday with Double-A Somerset, completing a scoreless inning of work on 12 pitches (10 strikes). He allowed a hit alongside two strikeouts.
When last asked about Schmidt's timeline on Monday, manager Aaron Boone said the club expected him to need "at least a couple more" outings in the Minor Leagues before he would be considered for activation.
Based both on the limited time left on the schedule and the Yankees' current needs, Schmidt is preparing to return in a relief role in 2026 with the expectation he'll compete for a spot in the rotation in 2027.
In 14 starts last season, Schmidt pitched to a 3.32 ERA and limited opponents to a career-best .199 batting average.