Yankees' Luis Gil Development is Definitely Frightening

Remember Luis Gil? Yes, that Luis Gil. The New York Yankees pitcher who won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2024 and has fallen off the map ever since.

Gil missed a massive chunk of 2025 due to a lat injury, then returned to make 11 starts in which he barely even resembled the pitcher we saw the year prior. He then started four games this season, posting a 6.05 ERA before being demoted and sustaining a shoulder injury.

The 28-year-old has since returned from the injured list and is pitching out of the bullpen in Triple-A, but even with the injuries the Yankees have experienced in their starting rotation, the idea of recalling Gil for such a prominent role should be an afterthought.

Right?

Well, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic has reported that New York could potentially promote Gil and use him as an opener down the stretch with both Max Fried and Ryan Weathers sidelined. It would allow the Yankees to save their taxed bullpen, and perhaps Gil would look better in a shortened role?

But honestly, at this point, it would be a mistake.

Gil has made three appearances in Triple-A since coming back from injury, and in 11.1 innings of work, he has walked seven batters. Clearly, the command issues are still there, and while Gil has logged 14 strikeouts, he certainly wasn't fanning anyone in the big leagues.

The 2024 version of Gil was certainly different, boasting a 10.1 K/9 and 1.193 WHIP. Command was still a problem for the right-hander at the time, but his stuff was so overpowering that he was able to compensate for it.

That being said, it should be noted that Gil did fade down the stretch that season, so we really haven't seen an electrifying version of the Dominican native since the first half of 2024.

Last year, Gil's velocity was down, and that was a problem earlier in 2026, as well. His strikeout rate plummeted, and his control became more and more of an issue.

The Yankees need to win games right now. They are still very much in the AL East race, and they also need to stave off a charging Boston Red Sox club in the Wild Card standings.

That's why experimenting with Gil in any capacity at the moment seems like a recipe for disaster. New York might be better off going with Ryan Yarbrough as an opener or potentially calling up Elmer Rodriguez one last time.

There was a time when Gil appeared to be an ascending star in the Yankees' rotation. Those days are long gone.