The New York Yankees have barely scratched the surface of the 2025 season, yet their pitching staff has already been through a whirlwind of injuries. One pitcher who embodies the chaos is veteran Marcus Stroman.
Stroman, 33, arrived at spring training under a cloud of uncertainty. There were whispers about his future with the Yankees, and many wondered if he’d even be on the Opening Day roster. But as injuries thinned the rotation, the team kept him—thankfully, at first.
Now, the right-hander is sidelined after a disastrous outing on Friday against the Giants. Stroman recorded just two outs while surrendering five runs, then exited with pain in his left knee. An MRI over the weekend revealed no structural damage, but the Yankees placed him on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation. He received a cortisone shot and is expected to begin ramping up once the swelling subsides.
“He’s got some swelling we want to get rid of,” manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday. “Hopefully this gets him moving in the right direction.”
Though unfortunate for Stroman, the injury may have saved rookie Will Warren from a trip back to the minors.
With Clarke Schmidt nearing his return from the IL and set to start Wednesday against the Royals, Warren seemed the obvious odd man out. But Stroman’s injury created an opening, allowing Warren to stick around for now. The timing couldn’t be better—Warren is coming off his best start of the year, allowing just two runs over five innings while striking out six in a win over San Francisco.
The Yankees have needed all the help they can get. Their 5.14 runs allowed per game ranks 26th in MLB, as does their team ERA of 4.67. Aside from Max Fried, who’s sporting a 1.56 ERA, the rest of the rotation has struggled. Warren (5.14), Carlos Rodón (5.48), and Carlos Carrasco (7.71) have all been hit hard.
Schmidt’s return offers some hope. After missing time with a shoulder strain, he looked sharp in two rehab outings, combining for 7.1 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. Schmidt himself says he’s finding his rhythm again.
“It’s just about getting back into game shape, being competitive, and mixing up pitches,” Schmidt said after his latest start. “I felt like we did that tonight. I’m happy with how it went.”
The Yankees, meanwhile, are simply happy to see a healthy arm return to their rotation. And for Warren, it’s a second chance he’ll look to take full advantage of—thanks to a bit of unfortunate luck for Stroman.
