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The New York Yankees already have injuries to their starting pitching rotation, with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt missing time in the 2026 MLB season. All three will be returning at various points throughout the season, which is the good news.
Nonetheless, with the Yankees’ current set of starters looking to hold down the fort until reinforcements arrive, any injury scare before Opening Day can be concerning. As a result, the latest news regarding Cam Schlittler will be one to monitor throughout spring training.
On Feb. 12, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Schlittler is dealing with mid-back inflammation. Moreover, Boone says that Schlittler will continue to throw but will likely stay off a mound for at least the next few days.
“Cam Schlittler has got a little inflammation in his mid‑back,” Boone told reporters (h/t SNY). “They’ll probably keep him off the mound for the next few days at least. He’s going to continue to throw, no issues there. He’s continuing with his throwing program, just something we’re trying to stay ahead of.”
Yankees’ Cam Schlittler Isn’t Concern Over Latest Injury
Moreover, Schlittler spoke to the media on Feb. 12 after Boone announced that the player is dealing with mid-back inflammation and revealed his level of concern on the issue.
“Zero [concern], I’d say,” Schlittler said (h/t SNY). “Again, it’s early. I’ve been dealing with it for a little bit, so I just want to make sure I’m on top of it. Again, I’m ready for Opening Day in that week in San Francisco… Just midback, just minor inflammation. Maybe more lat as well. Just making sure I’m staying on top of that the next few days and get ready for games.”
Max Fried Buys Into New York’s Decision to Run It Back
Meanwhile, another Yankees starter spoke to the media on Feb. 12. Max Fried shared his thoughts on New York’s decision to run the squad back after winning 94 games but falling short in the postseason.
“I personally think that our group is good enough talent-wise to compete with anyone in the game,” Fried said. “Obviously, we didn’t have the series that we wanted to. A big part of that was that we weren’t able to pitch as well as we wanted and keep ourselves in games.
“We were behind early, often, and then you’re asking a big task in playoff games for your offense to put up five, six, seven runs against good teams. I could be wrong, but I think the offense is either the best in baseball or at least the best in the AL. It’s a deep lineup. They’re going to put up runs.
“We’re going to get Gerrit [Cole] back. We’re going to have a lot of really good, quality arms to be able to round out the staff. Baseball is a funny game where, on any given day, someone can beat you, and we didn’t play the best baseball when we needed to. I know that if we have the same group, we’re motivated, and we want that opportunity again.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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