The Yankees are dealing with a number of injuries, notably to Jazz Chisholm and now starting pitcher Luis Gil. Gil, 26, is having a phenomenal rookie season after bouncing back from injuries in recent years. Over 124.2 innings, he has posted a 3.39 ERA, with 10.40 strikeouts per nine innings, a 77.6% left-on-base rate, and a 37.3% ground ball rate.
Luis Gil’s Injury Setback
On Tuesday evening against the Cleveland Guardians, Gil struggled with control, walking six batters in just three innings and giving up three earned runs before being pulled due to a lower back injury. The Yankees announced on Wednesday afternoon that he would be placed on the 15-day injured list, making his earliest possible return just over two weeks away.
Losing Gil from the rotation is a significant blow, especially since the Yankees were considering him for a postseason rotation spot. Now, they’re hoping he can return in time to potentially help out of the bullpen if he can get his walks under control.
Will Warren Steps Up
In Gil’s absence, the Yankees promoted Will Warren from Triple-A. The 25-year-old has had a challenging season with an 8.59 ERA over 14.2 innings for the Yankees but showed improvement in his most recent appearance against the Chicago White Sox. In that game, he pitched five innings, giving up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters. Warren has promising potential but still needs more experience to find his rhythm at the major league level.
Warren’s arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, sweeper, sinker, and change-up. While opposing batters are hitting just .059 against his four-seamer, they have had much more success against his sinker, which he uses 24.6% of the time and has allowed a .444 batting average against.
Rotation Volatility and Upcoming Reinforcements
The Yankees’ rotation has experienced some volatility over the past few months, particularly with options like Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes. The team remains hopeful that they can continue to build on recent solid performances while eagerly anticipating the return of both Clarke Schmidt and Cody Poteet.
Schmidt is expected to return in early September and recently completed a live batting practice session this past Sunday. Before a right lat injury sidelined him for several months, Schmidt had posted a 2.52 ERA over 60.2 innings and was placed on the 60-day injured list.
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Looking Ahead: Preparing for the Playoffs
While reinforcements are on the way, the Yankees have only a month of regular season baseball left before the playoffs. As they prepare for postseason play, it’s crucial that they get back to full strength and avoid further injuries.