In 2021, Luis Gil, a right-handed pitcher, recorded a 3.07 ERA and 38 strikeouts with the New York Yankees over 29.1 innings.
This performance positioned him as an integral part of the team’s plans for the 2022 season. However, his season was abruptly halted after just four innings due to an elbow injury that necessitated Tommy John surgery.
This injury not only interrupted Gil’s rapid progression through the minors but also created a depth problem for the Yankees.
It could be argued that if Gil had been available at the start of the 2023 season, the Yankees would have had an additional robust option to mitigate the impact of injuries to Frankie Montas, Luis Severino, and Carlos Rodon.
Although Gil still has a considerable recovery journey ahead of him, there was some encouraging news last week: he has already started throwing bullpen sessions for the Yankees, as demonstrated in a post on his personal Instagram account.
Gil could potentially contribute to the Yankees toward the end of the season:
Gil underwent Tommy John surgery in May of the previous year, meaning he is only a year into his recovery. The usual recovery timeline for this procedure is around 14-16 months, and Gil has not yet reached this point.
Nevertheless, it’s heartening to see him progressing as anticipated, and he may be prepared to return after the All-Star break.
One of Gil’s ongoing challenges is his control. If he can demonstrate during his extended rehab assignment that he can consistently manage his walks, he could be a superb addition to the Yankees’ rotation towards the end of the summer.
However, it remains uncertain whether this will be the case, as it’s common for pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery to take some time to regain full command.
Velocity typically returns first (although, as Noah Syndergaard’s recent procedure demonstrates, this is not a guarantee), followed by command and control after several starts and repetitions.
Gil might be positioning himself to be a crucial contributor to the Yankees around August or September.