‘This isn’t a rehab’: Yankees fans rip Clarke Schmidt during rough start vs. Guardians

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Clarke Schmidt’s return to the New York Yankees’ rotation didn’t go as planned. Making just his second start of the 2025 season, the right-hander lasted only four innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday, giving up five earned runs in a performance that left fans frustrated and the coaching staff searching for answers.

Yankees right-hander pulled early after allowing five runs to Guardians

According to MLB, Clarke Schmidt’s final line was: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. The outing raised Clarke Schmidt’s ERA to 7.45, as he struggled to work around traffic on the bases and allowed two home runs. Despite recording seven strikeouts and generating 13 whiffs, his inability to limit damage early cost the Yankees, who trailed from the start and were forced to turn to their bullpen in the fifth.

The performance sparked immediate backlash from Yankees fans on social media. One user posted, “Someone tell Clarke Schmidt this isn’t a rehab assignment,” while others were more direct, with one saying, “Clarke Schmidt sucks. Always has, always will.”

That sentiment, while harsh, reflects the mounting frustration with a rotation that was already under pressure before Clarke Schmidt even threw a pitch this year. With the team facing a tough stretch of games and little room for error, patience is running thin in the Bronx.

The struggles of Schmidt are magnified by the fact that the Yankees are operating without their ace. Gerrit Cole has been ruled out for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on March 11. The Cy Young winner’s absence has left a gaping hole in the rotation that New York is still scrambling to fill.

Marcus Stroman is not at full strength, and the Yankees are now leaning heavily on Max Fried, Clarke Schmidt, and unproven arms like Will Warren. Schmidt was expected to step up and provide innings in Cole’s absence, but Monday’s outing only deepened concerns about the rotation’s reliability.

First start showed promise—but now a step back

Schmidt’s first start of the season, on April 16 against the Kansas City Royals, offered some hope. He pitched 5.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and striking out two. His ERA at the time sat at 4.76, and there was optimism that he could serve as a steady presence at the back of the rotation.

But against Cleveland, Schmidt couldn’t escape trouble. The Guardians scored in each of the first three innings, and manager Aaron Boone had to pull him after just 80 pitches. Yoendrys Gomez entered the game in the fifth, forcing the bullpen to carry the load early once again.

The Yankees’ rotation is in a precarious place. Without Cole, every start from the supporting cast becomes crucial, and Clarke Schmidt has yet to prove he can handle that pressure consistently. His next outing will be heavily scrutinized, not just by the coaching staff, but by a fanbase that has little appetite for patience.

With a 4.76 ERA across two starts and a bullpen already being pushed to its limit, the Yankees can’t afford more short outings. Whether Schmidt can bounce back will be a defining storyline in the weeks ahead.

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