New York Yankees Make IL Decision on Luis Gil

The New York Yankees have made a decision on injured rookie starter Luis Gil.

Aug 20, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

This is a significant blow for the New York Yankees' pitching staff.

On Wednesday, the team announced that rookie starter Luis Gil has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain.

The club has recalled right-hander Will Warren from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Gil on the roster, and potentially in the rotation as well.

Gil exited his latest start on Tuesday night in the fourth inning due to his back injury after struggling with his command, issuing a total of six walks. This was his highest mark in an outing since April 15 versus the Toronto Blue Jays where he gave up seven free passes.

Although he leads MLB with 66 walks on the season, Gil has posted a 12-6 record, a 3.39 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in a career-high 124.2 innings and 24 starts.

The Yankees have dealt with a slew of pitching injuries in 2024. In addition to Gil, Clarke Schmidt (lat strain) and Cody Poteet (right triceps strain) have both been out for the past several months. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole didn't make his season debut until June 19 due to an elbow injury as well.

The good news is that Poteet was sent on a rehab assignment on August 20 and Schmidt is expected to begin his own on Friday, as he told reporters on Wednesday.

Schmidt's rehab assignment will start with the Double-A Somerset Patriots and the plan is for him to throw around 50 pitches. The 28-year-old is hoping he won't need too many minor league outings before rejoining the Yankees. However, the righty has missed close to three months of live game action.

As for Gil, he has gone through some struggles of his own during his rookie season, but has been dominant across some stretches and one of the Yankees' better starters in 2024.

Gil is a substantial loss for the Yankees, but the hope is that the rest of the rotation can pick up the slack until either he or Schmidt is able to return.

Update:

Prior to the Yankees' Wednesday night matchup with the Cleveland Guardians, manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the belief is that Gil's back strain is "minor." The club is hoping he can continue throwing while on the IL and Boone envisions him returning as a starter.