Yankees Pitching Depth Tested After Latest Setback News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 6:29 PM ET

The Yankees hoped Marcus Stroman’s stint on the injured list would be just 15 days. It no longer sounds like they are going to get lucky.

Stroman, sidelined with left knee discomfort, is “still feeling some things,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters before Monday’s series opener in Cleveland against the Guardians.. That makes it unlikely the right-hander will be ready when first eligible to return, which is an early sign of setback for a pitcher with a history of knee trouble, including a torn ACL in the same leg.

It’s just the latest issue with the Yankees' pitching.

At most, Stroman was supposed to be insurance for the Yankees' rotation this year.

Then Gerrit Cole was lost for the season after Tommy John surgery. Luis Gil is dealing with a lat strain and is already delayed in his rehab.

And Stroman’s ERA has ballooned to 11.57 over four starts.

The Yankees asked more of Stroman than they planned to, and so far, he couldn’t handle it.

Now the Yankees are walking a tight rope again.

Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren have been inconsistent so far this season. Carlos Rodon is coming off his best start of the young season against the Tampa Bay Rays, but he’s yet to string together strong starts. Clarke Schmidt was making his second start of the year Monday night.

And, well, thank God for Max Fried.

So, the club’s once-promising rotation depth is now just pieced together.

They can’t afford many more setbacks, especially not from pitchers. For now, the best-case scenario is that Stroman’s time off helps reset his knee and confidence. The Yankees don’t need Stroman to be an ace, and they just need him to eat some innings and limit damage.

They need him to get back and hold his spot in the rotation at least until Brian Cashman can trade for reinforcements.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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