Cam Schlittler (Image Source: Getty)
A mild injury arose in the camp for Cam Schlittler, but the New York Yankees are proceeding cautiously with one of their rising pitching prospects. For precautionary reasons, the organization has shut the right-hander down from mound work due to mid-back inflammation.Manager Aaron Boone said the issue is not serious, but the club wants to address it early rather than risk aggravation. Schlittler is expected to stay in light throwing programs, though he will remain sidelined from throwing off the mound until the symptoms resolve and the training staff clears him to resume throwing.
Cam Schlittler’s development makes caution a priority for Yankees
Schlittler is more important to the organization now than he was last year. The hard-throwing right-hander was much improved in both his command and ability to miss bats, putting himself firmly on the map as a viable depth option for the Yankees’ staff.
His fastball velocity and developing secondaries have garnered praise from coaches and scouts alike, and he entered camp in the running for an expanded role.Because of that path, they’re more interested in long-term durability as opposed to short-term availability. Even mild back injuries can continue or get worse if they are not managed correctly, especially for pitchers who have mechanics that put rotational torque on the trunk.
This way, the team is able to track his progress without stressing his back further while still keeping his arm intact by throwing flat-ground.
Short-term outlook remains optimistic for return to mound
Currently, the injury is being classified as day-to-day. Schlittler doesn’t seem to require anything more than the usual imaging procedure, though team officials say they have no worries over his availability for the regular season. He is expected to return to bullpen sessions when the discomfort subsides and he has regained a full range of motion.
This progression, for the Yankees, aligns with a larger philosophy of taming young arms with a brief halt in activity. Having a long season ahead, making sure that Schlittler builds up properly could be more important than pushing him through niggle inFebruary. Assuming his recovery goes as well as the doctors expect, he should be able to ramp right back up without missing much of a beat.
