Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters, including Greg Joyce of The New York Post, that right-hander Luis Gil has a high-grade lat strain. Gil will be shut down from throwing for at least six weeks. Even if he is declared healthy at that point, he would effectively have to restart his spring ramp-up period, so he’s likely out until late May or early June even in a best-case scenario.
It was reported last week that Gil had experienced some shoulder tightness during a bullpen session and would be going for an MRI. It seems that a significant strain was detected which will impact the start of his 2025 season. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relayed over a minute of Boone’s comments, during which the skipper said there are still some further examinations to be done which could reveal more info but that the six-week no-throw is confirmed.
It’s obviously a frustrating development for both Gil and the Yankees. The young pitcher just won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2024. He tossed 151 2/3 innings over 29 starts, allowing 3.50 earned runs per nine. His 12.1% walk rate was on the high side but his 26.8% strikeout rate was quite strong.
That excellent season came on the heels of a lengthy injury absence. Gil had a brief major league debut in 2021 before Tommy John surgery wiped out most of his 2022 and 2023 seasons. He returned and posted his aforementioned excellent results last year but now his health is now going to be at the forefront again.
The Yankees will now have to adjust their rotation plans, though the good news is that the solution should be pretty simple. The Yanks made a massive $218MM investment in Max Fried this offseason, which seemed to give them a rotation surplus. The club had an on-paper group of Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Gil. That seemingly left Marcus Stroman on the outside looking in and the club reportedly tried to find ways to trade Stroman and the remainder of his contract.
No deal came together, so Stroman reported to camp and has been getting stretched out as a starter. With Gil now set to be on the shelf for a significant time, Stroman should be able to step into a rotation spot without issue.
Perhaps the rotation will again be crowded a few months from now if Gil is able to get healthy, though it’s also possible that other injuries will change the situation between now and then. Though the Yanks are still slated to go into the season with a strong front five, the depth has been thinned out a bit this spring. In addition to losing Gil, prospect Chase Hampton required Tommy John surgery. JT Brubaker, who projected to be a long reliever in the bullpen, suffered three fractured ribs trying to evade a comebacker and has an uncertain timeline.
Behind the rotation of Cole, Fried, Rodón, Schmidt and Stroman, perhaps the out-of-options Yoendrys Gómez can make the Opening Day Roster in the long relief role. Will Warren and Brent Headrick are on the roster and have options, perhaps meaning they will be in the Triple-A rotation. Carlos Carrasco is in camp as some veteran non-roster depth.
Shocked I tells ya.
Marcus Stroman, you’re the next contestant, come on down!
Not too bad. Definitely could of been a lot worse. Whew!!!
“could have been”
you can literally just have Tyler Anderson
How does this literally happen?
~Mr. Literal
Let’s Go Stroman!
That solves the Stroman problem!
Now that you are forced to utilize your $18M per year security blanket, can my Phils offer you yet another $18M security blanket / 7th starter Taj Walker so that you can restock the blanket section?
For a small fee, of course…
@Carver
you mean free?
The Phillies should cover the shipping on Walker to get him to the Yankees’ camp.
This is a big deal. Those who downplay are in denial
IIRC the difference in prognosis between minor and high grade lat strains is drastic, no?
Who would be downplaying a guy missing at least a third of the season?
Inadvertently, the later start may keep him stronger down the stretch.
You are a glass half full kind of guy!
Marcus Stroman on line 1..:
I get what you’re saying but I believe Gil was going to be the Yankees top trade chip at the deadline. It’s still a possibility if he’s back and pitching well by then, but another injury will probably effect his trade value
I’ll take a lay strain over a shoulder impingement. Taking this as a win.
If Stroman is decent in his first month, it’ll increase his potential trade value.
Lol, Stroman is 33, making $18.5M, hasn’t pitched 180 innings since 2019 and has regressed 4 years in a row. Plus a player option that is now attainable. Teams know exactly what his trade value is.
Stroman put a voodoo curse on gil so a rotation spot opens up for him
Great. We get to hear Boone say ‘next man up’ again
Anyone check Stroman’s locker for a Jobu doll…
Stroman was seen purchasing cigars and rum.
All I see are 2 bobbleheads. Tim Anderson and Josh Donaldson.
Get those 139 innings out of Stroman!
The more innings Stroman pitches the less attractive he is to trade and the more likely the NYY are having the same conversations and angst this time next season.
If he pitched liked he did yesterday, he won’t get that many innings.
That argument makes no sense… if he has no trade value that means he stays on the roster. If he stays on the roster, the Yankees limit his innings once Gil returns to insure he doesn’t get to 140. Case closed, he’s gone at the end of the season. There is zero chance the Yankees let him hit that mark unless he’s pitching like a Cy Young candidate (in which case they’d be happy to pay him next year).
By the time Gil is ready to be back Stroman should drop off as he usually does in the 2nd half of seasons.
@melf
he doesn’t have a no- trade clause.
@KnicksFanCavsFan- just wondering If Knicks and Cavs face each other in the playoffs, who will you be rooting for?
Virginia Cavaliers.
@99
I grew up s Knicks fan but honestly, I don’t feel confident they can go wire to wire so I think I’d like the Cavs to move fwd. Basketball is the only sport where I have more than one team. it’s Yanks and Giants otherwise.
So a lat strain can make your shoulder feel stiff??? Or do we still have to worry about the shoulder as well?
Either way, speedy recovery, kid.
Its all connected
Yes, similar to how pitchers will experience forearm tightness when their UCL is torn
Gil nor Stroman fix the third base problem. The Yankees still have a propensity to hit a team.225
@dogs
because of one position? really?
Yes, really. They could add a prime Mike Schmidt at third, and the entire lineup would all be hitting in the low .200s. It’s been happening seemingly since 2010. I would bet that part of the reason Soto left is that he knew the Yankee virus would wind up dragging him down to the low .200s also. Just look what happened to Giambi and Teixeira. Way above .300 before they became Yankees, then couldn’t hit the ball off a tee. I blame the ridiculous right field porch, changing guy’s swings to jack for home runs every time. They should’ve never built this stadium with the same dimensions as the old one. Just wait and see, Bellinger soon to hit .217 and have his power be diminished.
Here comes all the injuries for the Yankees.
Injuries. The great equalizer.
One of the healthier teams last season, luck was bound to change.
I don’t care about the money. I guess the Yankees kinda do, but as a fan who just wants to see the Yankees win, I like Stroman as a number five starter.
He tossed 151 2/3 innings.
Is Gil about to take the Severino route from homegrown dynamo to oft injured frustration?
Less IP isn’t the worst thing this season for LG, but let’s not forget, prior to last ST, he was potentially heading to the bullpen as an injury risk whose stuff would play up in relief.
Once again, the Yankees problem with drafting and developing starting pitchers continues.
@mlb
how is that a Yankee issue? has nothing to do with development
The Yankees actually have a pretty strong track record of developing pitchers since Matt Blake was hired. Injuries happen to every team
love gil and hope he has a great career with the yankees but most of his 2024 production came in his insane month of may. every other month was pedestrian or terrible. maybe the time off means he’ll have an insane october instead of being mister may
Stro Show lives on!!!!!!!
Houston dodged a hot mess…lucky to trade with the Cubs.
And this is why, for all of you comparing Stromans trade value to basically a bucket of bubble gum, and urging the Tankees to trade him away or just cut him….you never have enough pitching….how valuable is Stroman now?
That was always my opinion too. People act like Stroman is Steve Trout 2.0. He’s a very serviceable starting pitcher. He pitched very well in the first half last season. The ONLY reason the Yankees are desperate to trade him, is because Hal Steinbrenner is a cheap-ass, and wants to get under the luxury tax. As you said, you can never have enough pitching, and let’s not forget, this is the Yankees we’re talking about, there will likely be 1-2 more significant injuries by Opening Day. My prediction right here and now is that Wil Warren will be in the rotation by Opening Day, along with Stroman. I’m sure Clarke Schmidt, the Iron Man, will hurt himself tying his shoes and miss half the season again, like last year. And to think, we could have and SHOULD have had Michael King in our rotation for years to come, but just had to have that “All About The Money” Mercenary only to see him sign with the NY Mutts after just one season. Bad trade that will haunt us for years. And, I can’t wait for that signing to go sour for the Mutts, which it surely will. My guess is that Soto is closer to 30 than 25, and that signing will go down as one of the biggest disasters in MLB history. Personally, I’m thrilled we didn’t land the so-called “Soto Sweepstakes”. Not after A-Rod, Stanton, and the disastrous LeMahieu extension.