South Carolina Professional Athletes

Clarke Schmidt's Long Road Back

Fourteen months and five days after going under the knife for Tommy John surgery, Clarke Schmidt walked back onto a major league mound — and for South Carolina fans, it was worth every anxious day of the wait.

Reinstated from the 60-day IL ahead of Wednesday's series finale against the Twins, Schmidt made his 2026 debut in what he called an "emotional" outing. The right-hander worked two-thirds of an inning, struck out two, and allowed a pair of singles in a 5-4 extra-innings New York loss — numbers that look modest on paper but carry enormous weight given the context. The Yankees are down to roughly 10 games in the regular season and need Schmidt to be a functional part of their postseason bullpen, not a reclamation project.

Aaron Boone didn't bury the lede: the activation was about October, not September. New York DFA'd utility man Oswaldo Cabrera to clear the 40-man roster spot, a move that signals just how seriously the front office is treating Schmidt's return. Analysts have already begun mapping where Schmidt fits in the bullpen's trust hierarchy for a potential playoff run — a conversation that would have seemed premature just weeks ago.

For Gamecocks fans, Schmidt's return is a genuine feel-good story in a sport that rarely offers them. Tommy John surgery at 30 is a career crossroads, not a speed bump, and the fact that he's back with command and strikeout stuff intact is no small thing.

Around the Diamond

Schmidt wasn't the only Gamecock earning a paycheck in meaningful September baseball.

Christian Walker (Astros, 1B) had a workmanlike week in Houston, collecting two hits Saturday against Atlanta to sit at .222 on the season. The Astros are still in playoff contention, and Walker's veteran presence in the lineup remains a factor as Houston navigates its final push.

Jordan Montgomery (Rangers, P) had a rougher stretch. The lefty logged just one inning in Friday's 4-3 loss to Boston and followed that with 3.2 innings Saturday against Toronto in a 6-2 Rangers win, finishing with one strikeout and an ERA now sitting at 4.15. Texas is playing out the string, but Montgomery continues to eat innings.

Carmen Mlodzinski (Pirates, P) showed flashes of why Pittsburgh believes in him. He turned in a 1.2-inning appearance Sunday against the Cubs, then followed with a 2.0-inning outing Wednesday against Milwaukee — two runs allowed, one strikeout — with his ERA settling at 3.90. Not a flashy line, but steady work for a rebuilding club.

Carlos Cortes (Athletics, RF) remains the most entertainingly surreal story in the sport. The Defector piece that went viral this week captured it perfectly: Cortes has now made nine pitching appearances for the A's this season — entering games where Oakland trailed by an aggregate score of 129-20 — because someone has to absorb the carnage. He's a right fielder doing mop-up duty in blowouts, and he's doing the required work, even when the required work is getting kicked around by Mariners in a 19-1 shellacking.

The Gamecocks are scattered across the standings — from a Yankees bullpen eyeing October to an Athletics team that has invented a new use for its outfielders — but this week belonged to Schmidt.

The Comeback Everyone's Watching

Clarke Schmidt is almost back. The South Carolina right-hander, who underwent Tommy John surgery and has spent the better part of 2026 grinding through a rehab assignment, is on the verge of rejoining the New York Yankees rotation — and the timing could not be more consequential.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that Schmidt will make one more minor league rehab appearance before being activated from the 60-day injured list, potentially joining the club ahead of their series against the Mets. With the Yankees pushing through the final stretch of the MLB season and already getting Aaron Judge back from his own injury, Schmidt's return would give New York a significant rotation boost at exactly the right moment.

The one wrinkle: roster math. Luis Gil, who recently returned to the big-league club, may find himself on the chopping block once Schmidt is activated. It's the kind of depth dilemma contenders want to have in September, but someone is going to be squeezed. Per sources, the Yankees are also eyeing a potential bullpen role for Schmidt rather than slotting him back into a starting spot — a signal that the organization may be managing his workload carefully as he returns from major arm surgery.

For Gamecock fans, Schmidt's arc this season is the story. Tommy John recovery is grueling under any circumstances; doing it while your team chases a pennant adds another layer. If he's activated this week, his first outing back will be worth circling.

Walker and Cortes Keep Producing

While Schmidt's comeback dominates the headline, two other South Carolina alumni have been quietly contributing through the stretch run.

Christian Walker has been a reliable presence in the Houston Astros lineup. The first baseman went 2-for-3 Saturday against Tampa Bay and earlier in the week delivered a three-run home run in the Astros' 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies — a shot to center field that gave Houston an early lead it would ultimately need to hold on for dear life. Walker is hitting .225 on the season, and while the average has dipped, his power production in key spots has remained useful for an Astros team fighting to stay relevant late in the year.

Carlos Cortes has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the Oakland Athletics' rebuild. The outfielder hit a home run Tuesday against the Blue Jays in a 5-4 Oakland win, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. He followed it up with a hit and a walk Saturday against Seattle, sitting at .260 on the season. For an A's squad that is still in the early stages of its rebuild, Cortes has given the organization something to evaluate.

In the Bullpen

Carmen Mlodzinski logged a scoreless inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Angels on September 6 and another against the Chicago White Sox on September 9, holding a 3.87 ERA. The right-hander has been a quiet stabilizer in what has otherwise been a difficult season in Pittsburgh.

Jordan Montgomery made a spot appearance for Texas on Saturday, throwing two innings with one strikeout, though his ERA sits at 5.29 — a tough year for the veteran lefty.

The Gamecocks have bodies all over major league rosters. Schmidt's return is the one to watch this week.

Two South Carolina alumni found themselves in the MLB headlines for very different reasons this week — one swinging a hot bat in Oakland, the other working his way back to a big-league mound in New York.

Clarke Schmidt: Light at the End of the Tunnel

The most significant Gamecock news of the week didn't come from a box score. Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who underwent Tommy John Surgery last summer, took a meaningful step toward his return when manager Aaron Boone announced Schmidt was scheduled to pitch in a rehab game. According to multiple reports, two key Yankees pitchers — Schmidt among them — are moving closer to rejoining the active roster after stints on the injured list.

Boone addressed the media ahead of New York's series with Houston, offering an optimistic tone on Schmidt's progression. For a Yankees rotation that has leaned heavily on its depth all season, a healthy Schmidt returning down the stretch would be a genuine boost. The timeline remains in flux, but the direction is clear: he's pitching, and he's close.

Carlos Cortes: Two-Run Blast Lifts the A's

While Schmidt rehabilitates, fellow Gamecock Carlos Cortes delivered in the moment. The Athletics outfielder went deep on Wednesday, August 26, belting a two-run homer as Oakland topped the Minnesota Twins 4-2. Gage Jump handled the bulk of the pitching load with nine strikeouts over six and a third innings, but Cortes provided the offense that made it stick.

Cortes carried a .258 average into that game and continued to make his case as a contributing piece in the A's outfield. He also collected a hit Sunday against the Astros and added another Saturday against the Orioles as the week closed. It's been a quietly productive stretch for the former Gamecock, who entered the week batting .261 and ended it at .256 — a slight dip, but with the long ball doing the heavy lifting mid-week.

Christian Walker: Tormenting His Former Bronx Rivals

Elsewhere, first baseman Christian Walker had a week worth noting in Houston. The veteran Gamecock slugger went 3-for-something with a two-run homer and two runs scored Thursday night as the Astros knocked off the Yankees 5-1. Walker also drove in a run Wednesday against New York, giving him a multi-game stretch of damage against the same club Schmidt calls home. It was a small, ironic chapter in a week full of Gamecock storylines — one alum carving up another's team while that alum is still rehabbing across town.

Walker is hitting .229 on the season, but his performance in the Yankees series was a reminder that his power and experience remain assets in a Houston lineup navigating its own late-season stretch run.

The Week in Brief

South Carolina's MLB footprint also included Carmen Mlodzinski logging 3.1 innings for the Pirates on Saturday and Jordan Montgomery making relief appearances for the Rangers on back-to-back days. Neither performance moved the needle dramatically, but both serve as reminders of how broadly the Gamecock alumni tree branches across the league.

The headline, though, belongs to Schmidt and Cortes — one writing his comeback story, the other already writing his name in the box score.