HOUSTON \u2014 Luis Gil didn\u2019t do himself any favors. The once-promising New York Yankees right-hander\u2019s problems continued when the Houston Astros shelled him for six runs over four innings in Sunday\u2019s 7-4 loss at Daikin Park. They got worse when the club told him that, instead of joining it in Arlington for a series against the Texas Rangers, he would be heading back to Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre.<\/p>\n
It was rock bottom for Gil, who can\u2019t seem to strike anyone out anymore and whose fastball has lost the heat it had when he won the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating,\u201d Gil said via the Yankees\u2019 Spanish interpreter. \u201cYou find yourself in a bad slump regarding that. But at the same time, it\u2019s part of the game, and I know that, God willing, I\u2019m going to get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manager Aaron Boone said Gil is having a hard time with everything \u2014 his command, as well as his fastball-slider-changeup combination.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust been struggling to get consistency with his, I think, delivery and his fastball profile,\u201d Boone said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen flashes of it. It feels like it\u2019s getting better in some ways. And then the secondary \u2014 some good, some miss, and when you\u2019re behind in the count, some things like that. So it\u2019s just been a combination of all three (pitches) not being where he needs them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The numbers back it up. Gil has a 6.05 ERA in four starts. In 2024, his heater was averaging 96.6 mph. He went into Sunday with it averaging 94.8 mph, and he\u2019s had a hard time using it to set up his secondary pitches.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s struck out just 4.9 batters per nine innings and is largely unable to get hitters to swing and miss. On Sunday, he faced a tough Astros lineup, but getting just three whiffs on 34 swings, none of which were on his fastball, was unimpressive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tough when you\u2019re falling behind (in the count) and not being as consistent with the secondary pitches or that consistent velocity and profile of the fastball to get them off some of the secondary,\u201d Boone said. \u201cA combination of not quite good enough command, the stuff not being as good as it is when Luis is at his very best, and add that up, and you struggle to get that swing and miss.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Yankees didn\u2019t put Gil on their Opening Day roster because they didn\u2019t need a fifth starter until nearly two weeks into the season. When they brought Gil back, he had an opportunity to prove he belonged. Instead, he showed he\u2019s largely been the same pitcher he was last year when he returned from a right lat strain and averaged just 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings and 5.2 walks. In 2025, he went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA, but his FIP was an ugly 4.63.<\/p>\n
So, what should the Yankees do with Gil\u2019s spot in the rotation? There are three options:<\/p>\n
One more chance: The Yankees could bring Gil back when the fifth spot in their rotation resurfaces sometime during the next homestand. They play six straight games at home, and 13 games in 13 days following Thursday\u2019s off day.<\/p>\n
Return Carlos Rod\u00f3n sooner: Boone continues to say that it appears that Rod\u00f3n will be back from his rehab assignment sooner than ace Gerrit Cole, though they both have been putting in similar workloads in their minor-league starts. The Yankees could bring Rod\u00f3n back at a lower pitch count than he would have if he were fully built up, hoping that even a lesser version of Rod\u00f3n would be better than Gil.<\/p>\n