TAMPA, Fla. – Cam Schlittler’s bout of midback inflammation Thursday was an early, annual reminder at Yankees camp about the fragility of starting pitching.
And the reality that no club is immune from spring training injury concerns.
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Whether this is a temporary issue, as Schlittler and the Yankees believe, or something to scrutinize as Opening Day nears, it’s just one more curiosity about this 2026 rotation.
As we await the returns of starters Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt – all of whom will begin on the injured list – let’s ask one more question each of this current Yankees’ staff:
Max Fried
Will his career-high workload in 2025 have any impact on his 2026 season?
Including postseason, Fried’s 204.2 innings in 34 total starts represented a personal high workload, and he missed at least one turn due to a recurring blister issue.
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“I felt great at the end of the year,” said Fried, who finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award balloting and made no alterations to his winter program.
In his final start of 2025, “I was throwing just as hard as I had all year” and was “really looking forward to potentially making another start.
“It was not like I was hanging going into the offseason. I felt as good as I had all year,” said Fried, lamenting only how it ended – yielding seven runs in just three innings in Division Series Game 2 at Toronto.
Overall, “felt like it was a good year, but at the end, I didn’t have the start I needed to make,’’ said Fried, as the eventual AL champion Blue Jays prevailed.
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“It definitely left a bad taste in my mouth and motivated me in the offseason.’’
Luis Gil
Will his fastball velocity rise in 2026?
Feb 15, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) participates in spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Early on, Gil’s work has created some buzz in camp – including Thursday’s live BP session, when he got Aaron Judge to swing and miss at a 95-mph fastball.
Last season, Gil’s fastball averaged 95.3-mph, down from its 96.6-mph average in 2024, when he captured the AL Rookie of the Year award.
But Gil had an inconsistent second half of 2024, and last spring’s lat strain limited the right-hander to just 11 regular season starts.
“Improving control and mechanics is really important for me,’’ Gil said through an interpreter Thursday, adding that he’s striving for consistency in 2026.
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If he was holding back some in 2025 due to the lat issue, or consciously sacrificing some velocity for more control, well, Gil suggested there’s a happy medium to be found.
“You look at a guy like Gerrit Cole,’’ said Gil, admiring the ace’s ability to add and subtract velocity in certain situations.
“I think it’s just a matter of pitching effectively, finding the right balance that can make you better.’’
Ryan Weathers
Will he have a fully healthy 2026 season?
Jun 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Due to a lefty forearm strain and a left lat strain, Weathers made just eight starts for the 2025 Miami Marlins.
Entering his sixth MLB year, Weathers has yet to exceed 100 big-league innings in a single season, partly due to a frustrating injury history.
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To that end, Weathers – a January trade acquisition – has made strides in adjusting his winter workouts, and he’s already made an impression on his teammates and manager Aaron Boone.
“He’s done a really nice job of evolving his offseason training program to hopefully be in a better spot. We feel like he is,’’ said Boone. “He’s a really good athlete…with really big stuff.
“Hopefully, with some tweaks in his game’’ the Yanks can help Weathers “make that next step.’’
Arriving early at camp, Weathers “made mention’’ that having a full healthy season is “something important to him,’’ said Fried. “If he can stay on the field, his ceiling is whatever he wants.’’
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Cam Schlittler
Will he develop a changeup he can use in 2026?
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) pitches during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Yes, the main question is about Schlittler’s health.
Assuming everything is OK, if you’re wondering about Schlittler developing a changeup this spring – well, the right-hander already owns a five-pitch arsenal, led by his 98-mph average fastball.
“We’ll see. I’m not too worried about it now,’’ Schlittler said of adding a changeup to his four-seam, cutter, curveball, sinker, sweeper collection.
“I’m very confident in the pitches I’ve got right now,’’ said Schlittler, so “I’ve got no real rush on’’ refining a changeup.
Will Warren
As with Fried, will his heavy 2025 workload impact 2026?
May 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren (98) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Absolutely no one pegged Warren to start a league-high 33 games last season.
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The right-hander was a longshot to start 2025 in the Yankees’ rotation until those spring training injuries to Gil and Cole (and later Schmidt), and Warren’s availability was an invaluable service.
Warren’s 166 innings, including postseason, also represented a professional career high by a wide margin – something to watch as the 2026 season progresses.
Once the likes of Rodon and Cole return to the rotation, Warren becomes a candidate to transition into a bullpen role, as does Weathers, who has big-league bullpen experience.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Yankees projected starting rotation and 5 questions for 2026 season