The New York Yankees have now lost three straight games after a 5-0 shutout at the hands of the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday afternoon. Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, bounced back from his rocky Opening Day outing, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and striking out six. His ERA now sits at 3.78.
Meanwhile, the Yankees' starting rotation continues to look unstable — unless your name is Max Fried. And things didn’t improve much after Carlos Carrasco took the mound for his second start of the season. The veteran right-hander gave up five hits and three runs over 5.1 innings, following an equally shaky appearance earlier in the season when he allowed three runs in just 2.0 innings during a 20-9 blowout win over Milwaukee.
Carrasco also made a brief start in the Yankees’ lone win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but once again failed to deliver, pitching just 4.1 innings, giving up six hits, four earned runs, and walking one with only three strikeouts. That marks his third straight outing allowing three or more runs, leaving the Yankees with limited options in the rotation.
Yes, it's still early. Yes, Yankees fans are known to overreact. But do they have reason to be frustrated? Absolutely.
Even as a top-10 team in ERA, it’s clear this rotation is missing direction without ace Gerrit Cole. Marcus Stroman, firm in his role as a starter, has allowed three or more runs in both of his outings — neither of which lasted past 4.2 innings. And Carlos Rodón, who got the Opening Day nod, now owns a 5.19 ERA after another rough start on Monday.
Is help on the way for the New York Yankees? Not via trade
There’s some good news: Clarke Schmidt began a rehab assignment in Double-A three days ago and is expected to rejoin the rotation sometime next week. Schmidt had a breakout season in 2024, posting a 2.85 ERA with 93 strikeouts over 16 appearances, and proved reliable in the postseason, surrendering three or fewer runs in all three of his playoff outings.
He was originally slated to be in the rotation but was sidelined by right rotator cuff tendinitis before the season opener. His return will offer a boost — but banking on Schmidt alone isn’t a sustainable solution.
Brian Cashman is unlikely to make a splash in free agency, especially given how thin the remaining market is. But the Yankees might need to consider creative or controversial options to stabilize their rotation if current trends continue.