Yankees.com: Schmidt going for tests on injured forearm as Yanks fall out of first place

From Bryan Hoch:

Three losses in three games had already made this a nightmarish trip north of the border for the Yankees, even before Clarke Schmidt made his way through the dugout in the third inning on Thursday evening, his right forearm aching as he trudged toward a likely stint on the 15-day injured list.

George Springer hit the first of his two homers off Schmidt as the Yankees fell out of first place in the American League East for the first time since after the games of April 13, dropping an 8-5 decision to the Blue Jays. It marked Toronto’s first four-game sweep of New York at Rogers Centre, an insult served with a side of injury.

I mean, come on, this one was just terrible luck. Clarke Schmidt was pitching like shit because he was hurt, and so he gave up three early runs, and since he was hurt, they had to go to Clayton Beeter early, and he wasn’t ready for primetime yet (he was sent right to the minors after the game), so that was the game right there. Luke Weaver giving up a two-run shot later was also really bad, but the game turned on Schmidt’s injury, and that’s just bad luck.

Now we just have to wait to see if Schmidt will be out for a couple of months, or if he is going to get TJS and be gone until 2027. Obviously, forearm tightness VERY frequently means TJS, but at the same token, the fact that he had decent velocity with it, and essentially took himself out of the game, suggests to me that he has at least a CHANCE at this “just” being a slight forearm strain, in which case he could return in a few months.

He’s been dealing with forearm tightness for a month now (typically at the end of a start, and this was different because it happened sooner), and he hasn’t had any testing done, which means one of two things…

1. It was so normal that there was no point to doing so, or
2. The Yankees’ medical staff is incompetent

You have to hope it’s 1 and not 2, but I think we all fear it being 2.

Schmidt has HAD TJS before, in college, but more and more guys are getting a second TJS, so I tend to imagine it’ll PROBABLY be TJS, but, hey, maybe they’ll get lucky.

As to the other things, a few notes…

1. Jonathan Loaisiga was literally the ONLY Yankee pitcher not to have a shitty series in Toronto. That honestly makes me feel SLIGHTLY better as, well, come on, that sounds fluky as fuck. EVERYONE sucked at once? That’s not normal.

2. George Springer and Addison Barger aren’t THIS good. That was just fluky hot streak shit, and, hey, the Yankees had that shit, too, with Grisham and Goldy early in the season, so, well, enjoy it while it happens, Toronto, it will likely not last.

3. Oswald Peraza simply can’t remain on this team. Volpe’s defense, as annoying as he has been, has still been fine (a -1 is fine, in defensive stats terms), and as soon as Volpe became a good defender, Peraza REALLY had no purpose here. Peraza came up TWICE with runners on, and you knew there was NO WAY that he was going to even drive the ball into the outfield (a sac fly would have worked in the fourth inning to get a run in). He’s beyond an automatic out at this point. Like, DJ LeMahieu sucks and all, but you feel like there’s a CHANCE that he’ll get a hit when he’s up. There is NO chance with Peraza. So why is he here? Why not try out some retread third baseman who might surprise you?

4. The amount of baserunners they get into scoring position every game is astounding. That’s typically HARD to do, and they do it CONSTANTLY…and yet they can’t drive in any of those guys. It’s beyond choking and has warped into some new sort of nonsense.

So the Yankees take on the Mets now, and at least the Yankees will be going with their best possible pitcher…oh shit, wait, is Marcus Stroman going again? Ruh roh.

Featured image is Schmidt grimacing through the forearm tightness, and allowing a two-run home run.