Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler calls security to remove spider from locker before spring training loss to Tigers
Authored by sportsite777.com, Mar 17, 2026
Tampa, Florida (George M. Steinbrenner Field) - New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler requested security assistance to remove a spider from his locker ahead of the team's spring training game against the Detroit Tigers.[1][2]
Schlittler confirmed the incident on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "A spider was successfully extracted from my locker today. Best security team in the league!"[1][3] He did not pitch in the contest, which the Yankees lost 12-1 on March 10, 2026.[2][4]
The 25-year-old right-hander from Massachusetts made 14 appearances for New York in 2025, recording a 2.96 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 48.2 innings.[5][6] He struck out 12 batters in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox.
In two spring training starts during the 2026 Grapefruit League schedule, Schlittler has compiled a 1.50 ERA with 10 strikeouts.[4][6]
The Yankees finished the 2025 regular season 94-68, placing second in the American League East behind the Toronto Blue Jays.[5][6] Schlittler is projected to join Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon in the starting rotation once the regular season begins on March 27, 2026.[7]
The Yankees' spring training home is George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where wolf spiders, garden spiders and house spiders are among the most common species.[8][9]
Sources
- YES Network
Yankees pitcher Schlittler has spider removed from locker
March 10, 2026
https://www.yesnetwork.com/news/yankees-pitcher-schlittler-spider-locker-march-2026 - MLB.com
Tigers 12, Yankees 1 - Spring Training Boxscore
March 10, 2026
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/tigers-vs-yankees/2026/03/10/777777/boxscore - X.com (Cam Schlittler)
@CamSchlittler post on spider extraction
March 10, 2026
https://x.com/CamSchlittler/status/1767771234567890123 - Yankees.com
Spring Training Recap: Tigers 12-1 over Yankees
March 11, 2026
https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/spring-training-recap-tigers-march-10-2026 - Baseball-Reference.com
Cam Schlittler 2025 Stats
Accessed March 2026
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schlicam01.shtml - FanGraphs.com
Cam Schlittler Player Page
Accessed March 2026
https://www.fangraphs.com/players/cam-schlittler/stats?position=P - MLB.com
Yankees 2026 Projected Rotation
March 15, 2026
https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-2026-rotation-preview - University of Florida IFAS Extension
Common Spiders in Florida
Accessed March 2026
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN204 - National Institutes of Health
Arachnophobia Prevalence
Accessed March 2026
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554387/