The Yankees announced that Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following the right-hander’s tough start against the Astros today. No corresponding move was announced, but the Yankees will likely call up another pitcher prior to tomorrow’s game with the Rangers.
Gil didn’t record a strikeout over four innings pitched today, allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks. Two-run homers from Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker accounted for most of the damage in what wound up as a 7-4 Houston victory, and Gil has now allowed six home runs in only 19 1/3 innings this season.
Gil didn’t make his 2026 debut until April 10, as the Yankees kept him in Triple-A since multiple off-days in the early portion of the schedule left the team without any need for a fifth starter. In four starts since his return to the Show, Gil has a 6.05 ERA and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9), in addition to his problems in keeping the ball in the yard.
After winning AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, a right lat strain sidelined Gil for most of last season, though he returned in August to post a 3.32 ERA over 11 starts and 57 innings. Gil achieved that solid ERA despite a host of subpar secondary metrics, and his struggles have now carried over into 2026.
It’s clear that something isn’t quite right with Gil, so he’ll return to Triple-A to try and work out the kinks before his next call up to the Show. What remains to be seen, however, is when that next opportunity could come, as Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are both making strides in their rehab assignments. Rodon is expected to need two more rehab starts, so he could be back in New York’s rotation within the next two weeks. Cole is still probably a month or so away from his return from Tommy John surgery.
Once Cole and Rodon are back, they’ll join Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and perhaps Ryan Weathers within what looks to be one of baseball’s top rotations. Weathers could be the odd man out and moved into long relief duty even though he has pitched well, but the Yankees could also deploy a six-man rotation or use Weathers as a spot starter or piggyback starter in order to manage everyone’s innings. Since this is Schlittler’s first full MLB season and Cole and Rodon are both returning from injury, the Yankees will be creative in finding ways to keep everyone fresh for what the club hopes is a deep playoff run.
In the short term, the Yankees’ upcoming off-day on Thursday means the club could skip Gil’s turn in the rotation without the need for a replacement starter. Beginning Friday, however, New York plays 13 games in 13 days, so the Yankees will need to fill at least one start before Rodon is perhaps ready for his season debut. The Yankees could consider a bullpen game, or top prospect Elmer Rodriguez might be given his first taste of big league action.
GOOD!!! Bring up Elmer Rodriguez Cruz. Who is the 5th starter if Gil is gone? Somebody figure this out. Yarbrough?
Rodon is close to being back, they might have to go with one start by Yarbs/Blackburn to bridge the gap.
With an off day this Thursday, they can probably get away with on spot start/bullpen game on, I believe, next Tuesday, and then Rodon will be back.
Just what the Gil is goin’ on? He’s too talented for this. Maybe some more time at AAA will get him straight. The stuff is still there though. Hopefully he’ll figure it out. We’ll see.
No command of the fastball. He’s been to reliant on his breaking balls for strikes and when those miss the strike zones it makes his walks goes up and hitters wait for a meat pitch.
Before the game would’ve been better. 🤣
This guys stinks😷
It was necessary
If it’s just one game they need to cover before Rodon comes back, they could mix/match Blackburn and Yarbrough. I would be bolder and call up Rodriguez for a spot start, but Blackburn/Yarbrough/Yerry De Los Santos/etc. against a weak offense as a one-off would probably be fine.
You are the Weakest Link. GoodBye!!! You’re Fired
I doubt Elmer comes up for a spot start. There’s no reason to potentially expose him when he’s their top trade chip. Skip Gil’s spot next then through the rotation then use Yarbs and Blackburn to cover the turn after that. Then Rodon should be ready.
I don’t know if they would be inclined to use Rodriguez for a single spot start (I think he would be the guy if there were three or four in a row for which they anticipated a need). I would be inclined to, but I can see not preferring it.
But I really doubt any team is going to change its valuation of a prospect off one rocky outing in his big league debut. It’s a drop in the bucket of evidence they have of his abilities.
Yeah I understand you mean but I’d still rather let Elmer continue to dominate in AAA and not risk it.
I am fairly agnostic on the point. Given the off day on Thursday, I think they can probably get away with only one game in Gil’s vacated spot and they could probably finesse that between Blackburn and Yarbrough and some guy they call up for a bit from Scranton.
Cruz is not getting traded for anybody as he and Lagrange are the future. Both pitchers will be with the big league club as soon as 2027 if there is a season.
I mean, I am a big Rodriguez fan, too, and would be loath to see him traded for anything but a significant return, but he’s about to be the seventh pitcher on the starting pitching depth chart. The Yankees will still be running out Cole, Fried, Schlittler, Rodon, Warren, and Weathers the next two years, too, assuming health (which you can’t assume, but bear with me). Those guys are all under contract through at least 2028 (some of them considerably more). That’s just a ton of depth and, given that, one has to at least consider the possibility of trading from a strength to address needs during the season.
Clarke Schmidt is under control for 2027 as well and plus other upper minor league arms like Chase Hampton and Brendan Beck. Elmer seems like the most logical trade chip for the Yankees.
Yeah, I should have remembered Schmidt for next year, though I don’t think he’s relevant this season. We’ll see what Hampton’s like after missing nearly two full years, but there’s also Ben Hess and who knows who else? Bryce Cunningham? Xavier Rivas? Maybe Thatcher Hurd is a fast mover coming off Tommy John surgery and makes it up to Somerset. Hell, Franyer Herrera (who?) is looking kind of plausible as a 20 year-old in High A. The Yankees seem to have a pop-up starting prospect or two every single year.
As Ultramod pointed out, the Yankees have a ton of SP depth even if they were to trade Elmer. I agree Lagrange should be untouchable, unless he’s used to get a superstar, but Elmer should be on the table for the right guy. I really want the Yankees to target Shea Langeliers and quality SP is what the A’s would most likely want for him. Elmer as the centerpiece of a deal would make a ton of sense there.
There’s an alternate universe where Luis Gil only pitches against the Red Sox, and is a top 3 pitcher of all time
So yarby, who was actually really solid in a few starts last year, for 1 start. Nice. Let’s get Gil used to bullpen work, he just doesn’t have the arsenal to start anymore
They could go to Yarbrough or Blackburn, based on how they feel that those two, respectively, match up with the opposing lineup.
*Insert Sandy*
Jk
With rodon , cole and volpe coming back as well as stanton say in 2 weeks who goes?
Gil AAA Dominguez back because of options ? Escarra? And roll with wells and rice as catchers goldy and rosario can technically play 1b? And 1 more? DFA blackburn or mcmahon or is it goldy or grichuk? It seems like mcmahon , escarra and grichuck have startered to hit a little better since the boston series. Can they trade 1 for another AAAA bullpen arm? That they can stash in AAA
Lost two miles an hour off his fastball and didn’t have enough compensatory skills to get away with it. Dude can’t get away with 94-95 (much less the 92-93 he dials it down to when he starts missing).
Gil, “Dude as you call him) has enough “stuff” considering his other pitches that he can and will win with 94-95 MPH fastballs….there are scores of pitchers in the majors who pitch at 94-95 and less….how about the Houston kid who pitched at barely 90 but had a crushing curveball that tamed the Yankees on Sat…..he’s a good example….
Not with his command and secondaries. He got away with not really having a great idea where the fastball was going when he was winging it in there at 97-98. Batters had a hard time squaring him up at that velocity and his slider and changeup played fairly well off that uncertainty. At 94, he’s much more hittable and his secondary pitches much less effective. I liked the idea of him throwing a sinker and maybe he can work on that at Scranton, but he’s not good at his current velocity, given his shallow arsenal and shoddy control.
Look at it this way:
Velocity is no guarantee of success, if all you can do is throw hard, but it does provide a margin of error if your other skills aren’t the best. If you have iffy control/command and not very many pitches, big velocity can be what makes the other stuff play up to be effective. But if you lose that margin for error, your other skills need to improve or you’re gonna get smoked. You need to add pitches or sharpen up your command. Gil did neither, which is why he’s in Scranton today.