These days, any positive news about a New York Yankees starting pitcher, especially when it doesn’t involve season-ending injury, is cause for celebration.
According to SNY-TV, Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters before Friday’s game against Pittsburgh that Luis Gil is set to begin a throwing program within 7-10 days. While Gil isn’t expected to make his 2025 debut until later in the summer, this marks an important step in his recovery.
The 26-year-old right-hander was shut down in early March due to a high-grade lat strain, with an initial timeline suggesting he would miss at least three months. Although Boone’s update doesn’t change Gil’s timeline for now, the fact that he will begin throwing again in about a week is a positive sign that he should be back in action later this summer as expected.
Gil showed promise in 2021, making six starts in the majors with a 3.07 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. However, he made just one start in 2022 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in May and missed most of 2023, with only two rehab appearances.
In 2024, Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA across 29 starts, striking out 171 batters in 152.2 innings. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award by a narrow margin, just five points ahead of Colton Cowser of the Baltimore Orioles, marking the closest vote since 1980. Gil’s win was also notable for being the 10th Rookie of the Year honor for the Yankees, the most by any American League team.
Notably, Gil became the fifth Dominican-born player to earn the award, joining a prestigious list of winners from his country, including Neftali Feliz (2010), Alfredo Griffin (1979), Ángel Berroa (2003), and Julio Rodríguez (2022).
