Cam Schlittler’s struggles, quiet bats leave Yankees limping into trade deadline with loss to Rays

With one of the biggest names in all of sports to be dealt away in 2025 in the building, the Yankees limped ever closer to Thursday’s trade deadline.

While general manager Brian Cashman mostly is pursuing pitching help following an active weekend upgrading the lineup, NBA superstar Luka Doncic was in attendance Monday night to see the Yankees bats largely silenced in a dreary 4-2 loss to the Rays at the Stadium.

Rookie starter Cam Schlittler allowed three earned runs with four walks and five strikeouts over 4 ¹/₃ innings to suffer his first loss in three major league appearances.

But the Yankees (57-49) managed just three hits over the final eight innings to slip to 15-24 since June 13. The Red Sox missed a chance to pull even in the standings later Monday night, suffering a 5-4 walk-off loss to the Twins.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) reacts on the mound during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Monday, July 28, 2025, in The Bronx, NY.

“Obviously, ultimately, we would like to be probably in a better spot,” Cody Bellinger said after the Yankees dropped to 4-6 since the All-Star break. “But this is kind of where we’re at right now.

“I think ultimately for the guys in this locker room, [the deadline is] kind of out of our control. … We have no idea really what’s going to happen, so we have to focus on what we can focus on. That’s all we really can do.”

Doncic, who was traded earlier this year from the Mavericks to the Lakers in an NBA blockbuster, met before the game with several Yankees, including injured slugger Aaron Judge.

Schlittler had impressed with a powerful four-seam fastball in his first two starts since a recall from Triple-A, posting 10 strikeouts over 10 ¹/₃ innings in Yankee victories over the Mariners and the Jays this month.

Before the game, Aaron Boone called Schlittler’s heater “his calling card,” but the manager stressed the rookie’s secondary pitches still need fine-tuning.

Schlittler was taken deep on a slider by first-time All-Star Junior Caminero for a two-run blast to left in the opening inning.

The damage could have been worse for Schlittler with two additional runners aboard later in the 31-pitch frame, but Tristan Gray’s scorched liner was hauled in by Bellinger in right for the third out.

The Yankees recouped both runs in the bottom half on three singles against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen and bases-loaded walks to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon for a 2-2 knot.

But Austin Wells popped out to strand three to end the early threat.

“Getting two there, obviously you’d like to add on,” Bellinger said. “Pitching did a great job of keeping us in the game. But we just couldn’t come through after that first.”

Rays’ Junior Caminero gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Monday, July 28, 2025.

Schlittler maintained the tie until the fifth, when Josh Lowe put the Rays back ahead with a one-out RBI single to center.

Lefty Brent Headrick was summoned to replace Schlittler and he stranded two inherited runners with strikeouts of Jake Mangum and pinch hitter José Caballero to keep the Yankees within one.

Rasmussen retired 12 straight batters bridging the first and fifth innings until Jasson Domínguez reached on a two-out single.

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) reacts after he strikes out looking during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Monday, July 28, 2025.

The Rays added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Yandy Díaz against Tim Hill, with the run charged to Luke Weaver.

Recently acquired Amed Rosario ripped a one-out single as a pinch hitter in the eighth, but the Yanks were unable to pull any closer.

“Obviously a great job after giving up two in the first of stringing together a lot of really good at-bats. … But then we just struggled from there,” Boone said. “Just weren’t able to mount enough, and couldn’t hold them down.”