“Really excited,” Aaron Boone said when asked about Schmidt before the game. “He’s a really good pitcher. We’ve seen him grow before our eyes over the last several years, and really over the last couple years establish himself as a really good starter. He’s important to our team and excited to get him back.”

The New York Yankees will welcome right-hander Clarke Schmidt back to their rotation on Wednesday night, when he makes his season debut against the Kansas City Royals (NYY +130; KCR -155; over/under 1.

Schmidt emerged as one of the Yankees’ top pitchers during a breakout 2024 season, recording a 2.85 ERA and earning the start in Game 3 of the World Series. Now, Schmidt is more important than ever to a Yankees rotation that’s been ravaged by injuries.