New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt likely will begin the season on the injured list with shoulder fatigue, multiple outlets reported Friday.
The 29-year-old starter told reporters that taking his first turn in the rotation would “handcuff” the team due to his pitch count.
Schmidt said he felt good following his 32-pitch live batting practice session on Thursday after being scratched from his scheduled start Monday.
Schmidt was 5-5 with a career-low 2.85 ERA in 16 starts last season, striking out 93 batters and walking 30 in 85 1/3 innings. He went 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three postseason starts, including a Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
A first-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2017, Schmidt has a career record of 19-20 with a 3.95 ERA and two saves in 83 games (53 starts) over five seasons.
