Aaron Boone told reporters today that Luis Gil is dealing with shoulder tightness, and that the Yankees will have him get an MRI after shutting him down during a bullpen session. The right-hander is coming off of an AL Rookie of the Year win during the 2024 season, as he was a stand-out star in a rotation that immediately lost Gerrit Cole for the first two months of the season.
With the Yankees having a logjam in their rotation, they now have a spot open that will presumably go to Marcus Stroman, who the team was willing to trade to shed salary this winter. The injury to Gil may change that mentality as they’ll need someone who can fill out that fifth starter spot, and it seems that they would go with a veteran over a young arm like Will Warren, and JT Brubaker is currently dealing with three broken ribs.
Luis Gil Dealing With Tightness in Pitching Shoulder, Yankees’ Rotation Suffers a Blow
The Yankees were hoping to have a super-rotation in 2025, and while Luis Gil’s injury is yet to be diagnosed, tightness in his shoulder isn’t exactly encouraging either. The right-hander posted a 3.50 ERA across 29 starts, winning AL Rookie of the Year and becoming a key part of this rotation thanks to his excellent repertoire. A hard-thrower with a power fastball, it’s a blow that could be catastrophic depending on the severity of the shoulder issue.
Aaron Boone told the media that Gil is undergoing an MRI, not being able to provide further information on the issue for the time being. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt are slated to remain in the rotation if healthy, but their battle for that fifth starter job may not be as complicated as people think. Marcus Stroman is owed $18.3 million in 2025 and has mentioned he is a starter and not a reliever, so I seriously doubt he’ll have competition for the job.
Will Warren has impressed early in camp, but the Yankees have an MiLB option on him versus having to roster Stroman or place him on irrevocable waivers, where the team will owe him $18.3 million regardless of if he gets claimed or not.
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Marcus Stroman struggled in his first season with the Yankees, posting a 4.31 ERA and being moved out of the rotation after the team got their starters back healthy. He was in the bullpen for most of September, not throwing a single pitch in the postseason as the Yankees chose to hold onto him exclusively as a long relief option in a blowout game. Now, his role on the roster becomes even more pivotal, and the team will hope that he can step in and deliver some strong starts.
A year ago, Luis Gil was the one who stepped in and gave the Yankees crucial innings when a key starter went down, and now Marcus Stroman steps in to replace the aforementioned youngster in the rotation. It will be a good test for the veteran, who has a third-year vesting option if he reaches or exceeds 140 innings in 2025, and that additional $18.3 million option is enough of a personal incentive for Stroman to perform.
The Yankees can’t expect Marcus Stroman to pitch the same way that Luis Gil did, but they can hope that he’s just good enough to keep that final spot in their rotation together.