On April 11, the Yankees were hopeful. Marcus Stroman stood on the mound, starting a high-profile matchup against the San Francisco Giants. But five runs in the first inning later, Stroman was off his game, and something wasn’t right. After the rain-shortened loss, Stroman didn’t talk about command or mechanics. Instead, he mentioned discomfort in his left knee. It wasn’t just a rough outing. It was a warning sign.

Fast-forward a few days, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “He’s still feeling some things,” Boone said this week, addressing Stroman’s progress or lack thereof. While the team initially placed Stroman on the 15-day injured list with what they called “left knee inflammation,” the tone has shifted. This isn’t going to be a quick in-and-out IL stint. Boone’s words suggest a longer road back, and for a Yankees rotation already missing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, that’s a gut punch.

The early diagnosis didn’t look disastrous. Stroman underwent an MRI that ruled out any major structural damage. Encouraging, right? But swelling lingered. The team administered a cortisone injection, hoping it would quiet things down. He’s started playing catch, which sounds like progress, but it’s clearly not enough to build confidence about an imminent return. Stroman still isn’t game-ready.

And timing matters. Stroman’s contract includes an $18 million player option for 2026, triggered by innings pitched. Every week, he misses and threatens that milestone. More urgently, it leaves a massive hole in a rotation that was already paper-thin entering April. The Yankees don’t need just a healthy Stroman, they need the version that opened the season strong. Not the one who grimaced through his delivery in San Francisco. Not the one sidelined indefinitely while Boone issues careful, ominous updates.

This is the tough part of the season. Injuries pile up, rotation depth gets tested, and optimism gets strained. Stroman’s knee might not be a season-ending crisis, but it’s shaping up to be one of those turning points you look back on in August. Right now, the Yankees have to hold their breath. Because what sounded like a brief absence is starting to feel a little too familiar and a little too unsettling.

Will the Yankees make a move?

Brian Cashman’s not the type to panic so soon in April. But he’s also not blind to the warning signs. With Marcus Stroman on the shelf, Gerrit Cole still working his way back, and the Yankees’ rotation balancing on a wire, the pressure is quietly building up in the Bronx. The AL East isn’t exactly easy-peasy. So if the Yankees want to stay in the race, they can’t afford to gamble on shaky depth much longer.

Sure, Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes are holding down the fort for now. But all it takes is one more injury or a hiccup in Stroman’s recovery, and suddenly this rotation goes from “a little light” to “full-blown emergency.” Don’t be surprised if Cashman starts making calls soon…just in case.

So, who might be on his radar? Paul Blackburn, now over in Queens with the Mets, could be a steady innings-eater if the Yankees are willing to deal. Erick Fedde has quietly put together a nice stretch in St. Louis, and if the Cardinals stumble, he could be pried away. Even names like Patrick Corbin or Jack Flaherty could pop up as stopgap options.

If Stroman’s knee doesn’t calm down soon, Cashman might have no choice but to deal from the Yankees’ prospect pool to keep the season on track.