Luis

Gil

Gil has a lat strain that is going to keep him out for at least the first few months of the season, with the hope being the defending Rookie of the Year pitches in the summer. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster, and the Yankees used that space to sign Ryan Yarbrough.

Based on that timeline, Gil would be back in June if everything breaks right. However, Gil is going to do nothing for the next six weeks and then see how he’s progressing, so it’s far more likely that he comes back sometime in July. If you’re in an IL-league then Gil could be a late-round stash, but he’s certainly not somebody you need to hold onto given his command issues, his injury, and his short season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Monday that Gil will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before being re-evaluated. He underwent an MRI over the weekend after experiencing shoulder discomfort last week during a bullpen session. There will be a definitive return timeline for the 26-year-old reigning AL Rookie of the Year once he resumes throwing in mid-April, but fantasy managers should anticipate a lengthy absence since he’ll need several additional weeks to build up his arm strength and stamina prior to his season debut. Former top pitching prospect Will Warren and disgruntled veteran Marcus Stroman are the logical in-house options to replace him in New York’s rotation. The strong likelihood that he’ll miss at least two months to open the season drops him in fantasy drafts from the top-50 neighborhood among starting pitchers to the top-80 range at the position.

Gil has been shut down from throwing after feeling the discomfort during a recent bullpen session. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday that Gil felt “tight” during the session and will undergo further testing. "...feels like it’s going to cost [Gil] some time,” Boone added. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is expected to be a big part of New York’s rotation after flashing big-time ability during his first full season. Fantasy managers will obviously need to pay close attention to the results of the imaging. There should be an update on his status at some point over the weekend.

Gil received 15 out of 30 first-place votes, with 13 going to Colton Cowser, who narrowly finished in second place. Austin Wells finished third with Mason Miller, Cade Smith, Wilyer Abreu and Wyatt Langford also receiving votes in the AL ROY balloting. Gil delivered one of last season’s more unexpected breakthrough campaigns, emerging as a key component of New York’s starting rotation mix, finishing with a pristine 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 171/77 K/BB ratio across 151 2/3 innings (29 starts). The 26-year-old righty seems pre-destined to be one of the more polarizing pitchers in the fantasy landscape heading into 2025 drafts, but there’s a strong case for putting him somewhere in the top-40 range among starting pitchers.

Cowser put together a breakthrough season, emerging as a key component of Baltimore’s lineup -- and an impact fantasy contributor as well -- posting a .768 OPS with 24 homers and nine steals in 153 contests. One of the biggest breakout candidates in the fantasy landscape, Gil made 29 starts for the Yankees last season, finishing with a 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 171/77 K/BB ratio across 151 2/3 innings of work. Wells emerged as New York’s starting catcher and was an impact contributor, but he’s a distant third behind both Cowser and Gil. It’s pretty much a toss-up at this point, but Cowser seems like the slight favorite. Perhaps the biggest surprise here is that preseason favorite Wyatt Langford didn’t crack the top three in balloting.

Gil gave up five hits, walked two and struck out one. He settled down after allowing a double to Mookie Betts and a two-run home run to Freddie Freeman in the first inning. Gil started the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead, but was removed after allowing a leadoff home run to Will Smith and walking Tommy Edman. Gil only threw 67 pitches, but was understandably on a short leash with the Yankees facing elimination. He won’t start another game in this series, but could be available out of the bullpen in Game 6 or Game 7 if necessary.

Gil allowed two runs in four innings and threw 79 pitches in a no-decision in Game 4 of the ALCS last week. It was his only appearance of the playoffs so far. The Yankees will likely come back with their ace Gerrit Cole in Game 5 of the World Series if necessary.

Gil gave up three hits, walked three and struck out three. Gil was solid in his first start of the postseason. He got through four innings and was removed after 79 pitches. It wasn’t spectacular, but he kept the Yankees in the game and left with a 3-2 lead. Gil did his job and will likely get another chance to start as the Yankees No. 4 starter in the World Series.

Luis Gil is going to be a reliever for now, since the Yankees won’t need a fourth starter in the ALDS because of how spaced out the games are. Schmidt went 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts this season. He came in at 3.65 in five September starts after returning from a lat strain.