There's a real chance the Yankees welcome Luis Gil back into their starting rotation before the calendar turns to August, considering the reigning AL Rookie of the Year just passed another test on his minor-league rehab assignment.
In his second start with Double-A Somerset on Friday, the 27-year-old right-hander looked sharp, striking out seven in 3.1 innings against the Rockies' affiliate. While the outing wasn't blemish-free — he gave up a two-run home run in the first inning plus a pair of walks — Gil threw 39 of 57 pitches for strikes and touched 97 mph on his fastball.
The latest rehab outing from Gil mirrors his first, as he punched out six across 3.1 frames of one-run ball for Somerset on July 13. He's logged 6.2 innings in the minors thus far, and held opponents to a .167 average.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said there's no intention of rushing Gil, who's been on the injured list since spring training with a right lat strain. But the expectation is for him to pitch next for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 23, and if all goes well, he could be activated shortly thereafter.
Of course, the Yankees will exercise caution with Gil once his return to the majors arrives. But he should certainly boost a top-heavy rotation that's endured season-ending injuries and felt back-end vulnerabilities.
Sweet Lu 🔥@Yankees RHP Luis Gil punched out SEVEN in his second start of 2025!
Final Line: 3.1 IP | 2 H | 2 R | 2 BB | 7 K
Pitches (Strikes): 57 (39) pic.twitter.com/Of2PEDhb9W— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 19, 2025
