Luis Gil has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a poor performance against the Astros, marking his second demotion this season. He must remain in the minors for at least 15 days, with a potential return date of May 11th.
Following a rough start against the Astros on Sunday afternoon in which he surrendered six runs on five hits and three walks in four innings including a pair of early two-run homers, Luis Gil has been demoted to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre. It is the second time this season he has been optioned to the RailRiders this season after getting sent down out of spring training when the Yankees’ schedule allowed for a four-man rotation for the first two weeks. He must remain there for a minimum of 15 days, meaning the earliest he can be called up is May 11th.
The move comes as no surprise given the impending returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole from elbow surgery rehab and Gil’s poor form to start the campaign. Although he appeared to right the ship with 6.1 scoreless innings against the Red Sox at the start of the week, this latest stinker means he is 1-2 in four starts with a 6.05 ERA, 8.43 FIP, -0.4 fWAR, and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9).
Gil’s fastball velocity is still about two mph below his AL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024. Even more than the velocity, he hasn’t show the ability to command any of his pitches. This means his walk rate is creeping toward a career worst while also giving up almost three home runs per nine innings. He would certainly be served by an extended period to work on his mechanics in a lower pressure environment. As David Cone mentioned on the latest broadcast, Gil is throwing from a lower arm slot and cross firing instead of striding toward home plate, and you wonder how much he is continuing to compensate for the serious lat injury that cost him more than half of 2025.
That being said, it was always inevitable that Gil’s name would be the first called for a potential demotion out of the starting rotation as Rodón and Cole near their returns. Rodón is the nearer of the two to his season debut after an offseason procedure to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. He tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in his rehab start with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades on Friday. He will likely require at least a couple more rehab appearances after throwing 65 pitches, but could theoretically be built up to join the major league team before Gil’s option window is up. could also make a spot-start if needed.
Luis Gil was optioned due to a rough start against the Astros, where he allowed six runs in four innings, and to make room for the returning Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole.
Luis Gil has a record of 1-2 in four starts, with a 6.05 ERA, 8.43 FIP, and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9).
Luis Gil can be called back up to the Yankees no earlier than May 11th, as he must remain in Triple-A for a minimum of 15 days.
Carlos Rodón is closer to returning after a successful rehab start, while Gerrit Cole is also expected to return soon, prompting Gil's demotion.
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The Yankees are taking it more cautiously with the final stages of Cole’s Tommy John rehab. He has been up and down in his pair of rehab starts to date and will likely be a month behind Rodón’s timetable.
Going forward, it is hard to envision what Gil’s role could be on the major league roster. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are clearly ahead of him in the rotation pecking order, and assuming health, one of that pair will have to be displaced once Cole returns. Gil’s issues with walks and the long ball make him a less than ideal candidate for the bullpen. And even then, it’s difficult to see him displacing Brent Headrick or Jake Bird at the moment while Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn do not have any minor league options remaining and would have to be DFA’d if Gil were to take their spot. For now, the focus for Gil should be to keep his head down and get his delivery right in the minors.