Cam Schlittler was laboring a bit, but actually still seemed sharp.
Still, supervisor Aaron Boone yanked the rookie starter after 5 innings and just 86 pitches.
It instantly backfired in the Yankees’ 4-1 loss to the Twins Wednesday night time in The Bronx.
Schlittler allowed one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
But with the recreation tied at 1-1, it was reliever Yerry De los Santos who came out for the sixth inning.
He promptly gave up two straight singles to begin the inning — to Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall — adopted by a two-run double to Kody Clemens as the Yankees fell behind 3-1. De los Santos was pulled with out recording an out.
He was changed by Mark Leiter Jr., who, later in the inning, gave up an RBI double to Royce Lewis that prolonged the Twins’ lead to 4-1.
“It was like 52 [pitches] over the fourth and fifth inning,” Boone said. “Just coming through a tough part of the lineup, Buxton, the time prior, had seen a ton of pitches before hitting a double against him. I just felt like, it was 86 [pitches], but over 50 those last two innings, so it’s like how much more are you gonna get out of him? It felt like he really had to grind through the fourth and the fifth there. He set us up. Going into an off-day and with a rested-up [bullpen], felt like we could get there.”
Cam Schlittler, who held Minnesota to one run, walks off the mound after getting out of the fifth inning on Aug. 13, 2025. Robert Sabo / New York Post
Schlittler’s pitch rely was at just 34 through three innings, but he threw 29 pitches in the fourth and 23 in the fifth.
He wasn’t giving up laborious contact, however, and had retired 4 of his last 5 batters.
Entering Wednesday, Schlittler averaged 88 pitches in his 5 begins this 12 months.
He reached or surpassed 90 pitches in three of these begins.
Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the Yankees’ loss to the Twins. Robert Sabo / New York Post
“I felt good,” Schlittler said. “I’m a rookie, so you got to earn that. It’s gonna take time and consistency. No concern with the choice and I belief the bullpen.
“You have [86] pitches after five [innings], Buxton’s coming up, two-three-four [hitters], I just feel like, as a rookie, you gotta earn that.”
The Yankees have positioned important belief in Schlittler.
When Luis Gil’s return from the injured listing necessitated a rotation choice, the Yankees opted to lower veteran Marcus Stroman rather than transfer Schlittler to the bullpen or ship him down to Triple-A.
And though they revamped their bullpen, the Yankees did not make a transfer for a starter forward of the commerce deadline.
With Wednesday’s begin, Schlittler lowered his season ERA to 3.94.
Clearly, though, they are still going to be cautious with how they use him.
“He set us up to win a game,” Boone said. “I will confer [with the pitcher] sometimes. Tonight, though, I felt like it was time to pull him.”
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