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ANAHEIM, Calif. The surging Yankees rotation has its first in-season injury, and Clarke Schmidt isnt coming back anytime soon. Schmidt will be shut down for four to six weeks with a right lat strain that landed him on the injured list Thursday, manager Aaron Boone said, dealing a blow to a rotation that has thrived even without its ace, Gerrit Cole. Speaking after , Schmidt said he was hoping to get back to throwing even sooner, potentially within three to four weeks. Clarke Schmidt was placed on the injured list Thursday. Jason Szenes for the NY Post Even still, typically for pitchers, the length of a shutdown is about equal to the time it takes to build back up, meaning Schmidt could be sidelined for around two months. Its definitely devastating, Schmidt said. Im probably having the most fun Ive ever had playing this game in my career. Not only having succe s, but the teams winning, the pitching staffs doing really well, and its just fun being able to go out there and compete every five days with these guys. Explore More A big part of me is I pride myself on being available and being a guy they can rely on every five days to go out there and give them a chance to win ballgames. So a big part of me feels like Im letting the team down because Im not doing that part of being available every five days. Paul Blair Jersey Cody Poteet will be called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill Schmidts spot in the rotation and start on Saturday against the Giants. In the interim, reliever Cody Morris was recalled on Thursday to provide bullpen insurance. Schmidt had last pitched on Sunday against the Padres, after which he said he didnt feel his best physically but grinded through it. Then the right-hander did not recover well in the coming days and was unable to go through his throwing program, which led the Yankees to send him for an MRI exam on Wednesday and a meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Thursday. Clarke Schmidt delivers a pitch during the Yankees lo s to the Padres on Sunday. AP Schmidt had posted a 2.52 ERA through his first 11 starts as he continued to develop and mature as a full-time starter. He stayed healthy last season while piling up a career-high 159 innings, smashing his previous mark. Obviously, Clarkes been one of the guys that has been pitching so well, so it stinks for him, Boone said before the Yankees closed out the series at Angel Stadium. But hopefully well have him down, get him on the mend and hopefully get him back at some point. Still, Boone didnt shy away from reality. Its going to be a while, he said. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! The Yankees have been without Cole since spring training because of nerve inflammation in his right elbow, but their rotation had still been a strength with Luis Gil filling in incredibly for him and the rest of the starters stepping up their game. Entering Thursday, the Yankees had posted the second-lowest rotation ERA in the majors at 2.69. That included an MLB-record 16 straight games in which their starter had pitched at least five innings and given up two or fewer runs. Now, the Yankees will have to fill another void, with Cole not expected back until at least the end of June, though he could begin a rehab a signment next week. And the questions about how the Yankees would open a spot for Coles return to the rotation and whether Gil would be forced to the bullpen have suddenly become moot. Including Thursday night, Schmidt, Gil, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman had combined to start 57 of the Yankees first 58 games of the season the lone exception being a spot start by Poteet in a doubleheader on April 13 in Cleveland. Stroman is set to make it 58 of 59 on Friday before the Yankees stability will be disrupted. Poteet is currently on the IL at Triple-A with a blister, but Boone said he has been throwing side se sions and will be good to go for Saturday. The right-hander aced his spot start against the Guardians earlier this season, to sing six innings of one-run ball in a win. Nick Vespi Jersey
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