Clayton Beeter Injury Update

Clayton Beeter’s name might not be lighting up the headlines, but if you’ve been watching his rehab closely, you know there’s something brewing. After battling a right shoulder impingement that’s kept him off the mound for the Yankees all season, Beeter is slowly but surely working his way back—and making it clear he could be a big-time contributor once he’s ready.

His stint with Double-A Somerset this past week told a tale of two outings. On Wednesday, Beeter looked out of sync, needing 23 pitches to record just one out while walking three and giving up three runs on a lone hit. But if that had fans worried, the next outing was the reassuring exhale we all needed. Beeter returned to the mound looking far more like his dominant self, firing 1.2 innings of scoreless ball, striking out two, walking no one, and not allowing a single baserunner. Oh, and his fastball? It was humming in the upper 90s with the kind of life that makes hitters uncomfortable just stepping into the box.

This isn’t just a flash in the pan, either. His rehab began back in Tampa on April 20, where he tossed 1.1 clean innings. Across just 3.1 innings in Tampa and Somerset combined, the stat line looks shaky at first glance—an 8.10 ERA and three walks—but don’t let that fool you. That’s rehab rust, not a red flag. The real story is in the whiffs: six strikeouts in that short span and plenty of signs that his stuff is playing exactly how the Yankees hoped it would.

The organization clearly sees something, too. Beeter’s rehab assignment was recently bumped up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a sign the Yankees want him facing stiffer competition and getting closer to big-league readiness. And make no mistake—this bullpen might be solid, but there’s always room for a guy who can make bats vanish.

Empire Sports Media put it perfectly:

“… there’s always room for another bat-misser, especially one who brings a different look and late-inning potential. Beeter fits that mold—he’s not just depth, he’s the kind of arm that could force his way into important innings if he puts it all together.”

And that’s the thing—if Beeter continues trending in the right direction, “important innings” might come sooner rather than later. His stuff plays. His attitude is fearless. And once he’s fully back, don’t be surprised if he’s not just another name in the bullpen—he might be one of the reasons the Yankees lock down October games.