The New York Yankees made a familiar move this week by re-signing veteran reliever Geoff Hartlieb—just days after he had elected free agency following a designation for assignment. The team confirmed Hartlieb’s return in an announcement, noting that he contributed during the weekend series.
Hartlieb Steps in for Injured Clarke Schmidt
As Erin Shapland of SI.com reported, Hartlieb, 31, was brought back to help fill the void left by Clarke Schmidt, who recently suffered a potentially season-ending injury. Previously a regular for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Hartlieb was called up for Sunday’s win against the Mets.
Schmidt’s injury may keep him out long-term. “Schmidt was injured during his Thursday start against the Toronto Blue Jays, leaving the game after three innings with forearm tightness,” Shapland wrote. “He underwent an MRI when the team returned to New York after the losing series. Clarke will likely undergo Tommy John surgery in a devastating blow to the team’s struggling pitching rotation.”
Schmidt exited Thursday’s game early after experiencing discomfort.
“Earlier on in the game, it felt OK,” Schmidt said, via the Associated Press. “As the game progressed, it sort of tightened up a little bit on me.”
“I felt like the whole night I was kind of guarding it a little bit on the breaking balls, really not ripping them or trying to get a lot behind them,” he added.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed the worst-case scenario, stating that Schmidt might indeed require Tommy John surgery.
Yankees Shuffle Pitching Roster, Eye Additional Reinforcements
To make space for Hartlieb, the Yankees optioned Javien Sandridge to Triple-A. Sandridge had been shifting between the minors and majors this season and made his debut during the weekend Mets series.
There may be more reinforcements on the way. According to Ian Casselberry of Yahoo Sports, Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, is close to beginning a rehab assignment and may return shortly after the All-Star break.
Casselberry also highlighted other possible internal solutions, including fast-tracking Cam Schlitter, one of the team’s top prospects.
“Other internal starting pitching options for the Yankees could include Allan Winans, who struggled in a spot start but was excellent in Triple-A before being called up,” Casselberry wrote. “Brendan Beck was recently promoted to Triple-A, where he has a 2.93 ERA after three starts. In his 11 appearances at Double-A, he compiled a 1.82 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. Cam Schlitter, ranked as the Yankees’ No. 10 prospect by MLB.com, has a 3.80 ERA in five Triple-A starts with an overall mark of 2.82 in the minors this season.”
