Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are formally returning to the Yankees’ rotation this weekend in their series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Will Warren was previously optioned to Triple-A to open up one spot in the rotation, but they needed to open up another to maintain their five-man schedule. Luis Gil is slated to get the ball Friday afternoon with Clarke Schmidt getting the ball Saturday, but Nestor Cortes will be available in the bullpen to be the bulk reliever if either starter needs it for that series.
Not only did Aaron Boone reveal the encouraging news that they’d get two reinforcements in their rotation for an important stretch run, but he also confirmed that Gerrit Cole will get the ball next Sunday, making his calf injury a non-issue.
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It was concerning to see Luis Gil have to exit his start against the Cleveland Guardians early with back issues, but his stuff looked fine in his rehab outing with the Somerset Patriots and the Yankees will activate him for Friday. Given his erratic command and overall inning total on the season, it was probably in the cards for him to get some time off, but this injury serves as a natural way to limit his innings.
The Chicago Cubs have been on fire as of late, so this won’t be a soft landing for the 26-year-old flamethrower, but it’s a great chance for him to build up and get back on track after some shaky starts in August. As for Clarke Schmidt, he’s built up to 70 pitches in his last outing and likely has a strict pitch count to monitor, and while Nestor Cortes will be available to piggyback whoever needs the support, it’s easy to see how he’d come in for Clarke Schmidt.
Both Gil and Schmidt are vital to the Yankees, with both of them performing at a high level in the rotation before going down with injuries. For Nestor Cortes, this stay in the bullpen won’t be permanent as they plan on re-inserting him into the rotation in their series at home against Boston, which will raise questions about how the Yankees will set up their rotation for the next time through.
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Gerrit Cole will get the ball on Sunday as originally planned, but after exiting last night’s game early with a calf issue, there was some initial concern about a potential strain. The Yankees swiftly announced that it was a cramp, and after some rest today he wasn’t experiencing pain that would make the team question that initial diagnosis. The 2023 AL Cy Young winner joked that he will be incorporating more bananas into his diet, but his role on this team cannot be understated right now.
He’s pitched brilliantly since August, with a 1.86 ERA across six starts and a 29% strikeout rate to go alongside it. This rotation can be a huge strength for the Yankees, and it’ll be interesting to see who they keep in the rotation for the rest of the year and who finds themselves in the bullpen. Carlos Rodon will be making an important start in regard to his spot on the team, as if he can put an awful start against the Nationals behind him he could move up the pecking order of this rotation.
The southpaw will face former Yankee Andrew Heaney at 8:05 PM EST as the Bronx Bombers look to pick up a series win after two ugly series losses to the Cardinals and Nationals.