“It stinks for him, we’ll have him down” - Aaron Boone reflects on Clarke Schmidt’s injury, hopes to have him back soon

New York Yankees ace Clarke Schmidt has been placed on the 15-day injured list after sustaining a right lat strain, the club said on Thursday. In a reciprocating move, the team has called up right-handed reliever Cody Morris from Triple-A who will fill his spot on the active roster.

The injury will put a dent in the Pinstripers' rotation, which has been impressive so far. Before Thursday night's Yankees game against the LA Angels, manager Aaron Boone talked to the media about Schmidt's injury.

“It’s going to be awhile,” Boone said. “It stinks for him. We’ll have him down, get him on the mend and hopefully get him back at some point.”

Clarke Schmidt also reportedly traveled to LA on Thursday to get a second opinion on his injury from baseball arm specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Schmidt was having a breakout year before this injury, posting a 5-3 record in 11 starts with a 2.52 ERA.

Clarke Schmidt expected to be back by late August if everything goes well

MLB: New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins

According to NJ.com, Schmidt's last start on Sunday against the San Diego Padres might have been where he picked up the injury. That day, the pitcher worked up his pitch count, deeming it "one of his grinders," where “physically it was one of those outings where you don’t feel like you're at your best.”

He pitched five innings, allowing two runs, one of which was earned. After the game, Clarke Schmidt didn't feel anything wrong and even said that he "was happy" with his start, where he "put up a lot of zeroes.”

With Monday off, he took the field on Tuesday at Angel Stadium and felt difficulty playing catch. The difficulty came up again on Wednesday, pushing the Yankees to send him for an MRI. The result was a lat strain in his throwing arm, which will potentially sideline him until late August or early September.

The injury will render him off for 4-6 weeks of recovery. Then, the throwing program will kick in, which can take up to another five weeks.