Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The New York Yankees wasted little time showing Luis Gil the door back to the minors, optioning the right-handed starter to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a mere hours after getting roughed up by the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Gil got tagged a pair of two-run home runs on the way to six runs in total across four-plus innings of work during a 7-4 loss. His stuff was predictable and hittable. Houston made contact on all 22 fastballs that Gil threw. Out of the 34 swings they took, they whiffed just three times.
The 27-year-old, who started the season in Triple-A as the odd-man out of an initial four-man rotation, has done little to solidify his spot moving forward. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year is 1-2 with a 6.05 ERA in four starts since he was brought back up.
Luckily for the Yankees, the schedule allows them to be a bit more ruthless with their handling of Gil. They won’t need a fifth starter until May 5, and veteran southpaw Carlos Rodon is on the cusp of getting back to the big leagues after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. He likely needs two more minor-league rehab starts before returning to the Bronx, with his next outing coming on either Wednesday or Thursday.
For the time being, that means the Yankees could use the likes of Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, or Elmer Rodriguez to serve as a spot starter when the time for a No. 5 starter comes. Then Rodon will likely be back the next time that spot comes around.
Gil had been the lone struggling arm of a Yankees rotation that has been the best in baseball this season. Cam Schlittler (1.77), Max Fried (2.40), and Will Warren (2.59) all have ERAs under three. Meanwhile, Ryan Weathers shook off a slow start and has allowed just two runs in his last 12.2 innings of work with 12 strikeouts.
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