The New York Yankees lost rookie pitcher Luis Gil in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. The team later announced that Gil has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a lower back strain, as shared on the Yankees’ official X account.
In his outing, Gil allowed three runs and issued six walks over three-plus innings. After giving up a home run to Brayan Rocchio and walking Steven Kwan, Gil signaled to the dugout after throwing an 89 mph changeup to Jose Ramirez, indicating that something was wrong.
A candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, Gil was taken out of the game due to the back issue. In a corresponding move, the Yankees called up right-handed pitcher Will Warren from Triple-A.
After the game, Gil expressed some concern about his back. “A little worried, because you come out of the game because you’re feeling something that’s not right … But at the same time, you’ve just got to take it day by day,” Gil said, via MLB.com. He now has at least 15 days to recover.
This injury is a significant setback for the Yankees’ rotation, which has been inconsistent this season. Since the All-Star break, their starting pitchers rank 21st or worse in ERA (4.89), WHIP (1.45), opponent batting average (.270), BB/9 (3.43), and WPA.
Despite a rough patch in June, when his ERA rose from 1.82 on June 4 to 3.41 on July 2, the 26-year-old righty has been a standout for the Yankees this season. Gil had an outstanding May, setting a franchise record with 44 strikeouts and a 0.70 ERA. In 24 starts, he’s posted a 12-6 record with a 3.39 ERA, 1.195 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, and an ERA+ of 123, accumulating 3.0 bWAR over 124.2 innings.
However, Gil’s workload might become an issue. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022, he missed the entire 2023 season. Although he returned to the Yankees’ rotation this season without restrictions, the team may need to limit his innings when he returns from the IL to avoid fatigue in the postseason. New York might also consider moving Gil to the bullpen for the playoffs, but this would further thin out their rotation.
The Yankees’ pitching staff could get a boost in September with the expected return of Clarke Schmidt from the injured list. Schmidt was having a career-best season before a right lat strain sidelined him in May. After setbacks extended his stay on the IL, Schmidt is now set to begin a rehab assignment and could be back in time for the postseason.
