Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Promote Pitching Prospect Luis Gil to Start Against Orioles, Make MLB Debut

New York Yankees prospect Luis Gil will make his MLB debut, starting against the Baltimore Orioles. Gil replaces Gerrit Cole, who tested positive for COVID-19

Pat Ragazzo

With Gerrit Cole testing positive for COVID-19 and Domingo Germán hitting the injured list with a rotator cuff strain, the Yankees are all of a sudden in need of pitching.

As a result, New York is calling up pitching prospect Luis Gil, who is ranked No. 6 overall in their system.

Gil will make his first big-league start on Tuesday night against the Orioles, taking the mound for the Yankees after newly acquired left-hander Andrew Heaney was roughed up yesterday.

The right-hander has a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. However, he has struggled with his command, which has led to some inconsistency in Scranton.

Yankees' Gerrit Cole Tests Positive For COVID-19

Since joining the RailRiders, Gil has produced a 5.64 ERA in eight starts, while issuing 23 walks across 30.1 innings. In his last outing, he lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up six runs with four walks. In his start before that, however, he tossed six shutout innings with nine strikeouts to help his team pitch a combined no-hitter.

Gil has more success against right-handers, who hold a .167 batting average and .661 OPS against him this season. As for lefties, it hasn’t been the same story, as they have hit .289 with a .732 OPS versus the youngster.

While the Orioles’ lineup is relatively right-handed heavy, their best hitter, Cedric Mullens, bats from the left side, which could spell trouble for Gil in his first major league outing.

The Orioles beat up on Heaney in his Yankees debut on Monday with four solo home runs in a span of six batters. Heaney lasted a mere four innings, allowing four runs on six hits in a 7-1 loss.

As for Gil, although he has a lot more developing left to do in his young career, he received the nod over fellow top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia, who is having a nightmare season with a 7.41 ERA and 1.87 WHIP in 14 starts for Scranton.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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