The New York Yankees are preparing for the return of pitcher Clarke Schmidt, who is expected to rejoin the team following a lengthy recovery from Tommy John surgery. Schmidt, sidelined since July 3, 2025, completed his rehab assignment on Saturday and is anticipated to be activated for the upcoming series in Minnesota starting Monday.

Manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism about Schmidt’s potential impact, describing his return as "huge" for the team. Schmidt, originally a starting pitcher, will come back as a reliever and immediately enter the competition for a roster spot heading into October. The pitcher acknowledged the significance of the moment, describing his excitement as “very high” and comparing the upcoming appearance to a debut due to the long layoff.

Schmidt’s return is a welcome development for a Yankees team hoping to bolster its pitching staff late in the season. The organization credits its pitching, training, and medical teams for enabling his comeback after more than a year of rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, outfielder Spencer Jones continues to perform well at the plate, extending his hitting streak to 13 games out of the last 15. Over this stretch, he is batting .396 with an on-base percentage of .455 and a slugging percentage of .583, including a notable long single to right field in recent play.

The Yankees are monitoring the status of Giancarlo Stanton, who remains sidelined due to his third calf strain of the season, this time in his left leg. The injury occurred nearly four weeks ago, and although Stanton has been attending hitters’ meetings, Boone indicated there is “nothing imminent” regarding his return. The team has not confirmed whether Stanton will rejoin action before the season concludes.

In addition, Trent Grisham is progressing slowly after sustaining a hamstring strain on September 4. Boone reported that Grisham is currently engaged in some running exercises but could not provide an update on whether he would be able to return during the regular season.

The Yankees face a critical stretch and are closely managing player health as they look to finalize their roster with hopes of making a postseason push. Schmidt’s reactivation is a key step in shoring up a pitching staff challenged by injuries and workload demands as the season draws toward its conclusion.