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Clarke Schmidt Ditching New Sweeper Grip
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (elbow) thinks that grip changes last year led to his elbow issues that required Tommy John surgery, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. "I think the No. 1 thing that played a factor was mid-season grip changes," Schmidt said. "You make grip changes, and you start to really put different stress on different areas of your forearm and stuff like that." The 30-year-old started throwing a new sweeper on May 6 last year, and it required him to "grip it really hard" and "torque it." A month late, he was having trouble recovering between starts and battled through right-forearm soreness. Schmidt was limited to 14 starts in 2025. He plans on sticking with his old sweeper grip and will "definitely" ditch the newer one. This spring, Schmidt is focusing on his rehab. Fantasy managers are unlikely to have him available until the end of the summer, limiting his fantasy appeal in 2026.
Source: New York Daily News - Gary Phillips
Source: New York Daily News - Gary Phillips
