Despite a June downturn in which Gil struggled in numerous outings and saw his ERA rise from 1.82 on June 4 to 3.41 on July 2, the 26-year-old righty has been a bright spot for the Yankees this season. Gil posted a franchise-best 44 strikeouts in May and a 0.70 ERA. In 24 starts, he is 12-6 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.195 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, and an ERA+ of 123. Gil now has 3.0 bWAR in 124.2 innings for New York in 2024.
Those innings, however, could pose a problem for the rookie starter. Gil had Tommy John surgery in May 2022, and the recovery procedure kept him out of the majors in 2023. Gil joined the Yankees rotation with no limits at the start of the season, but the team may need to limit his innings when he returns from the IL to keep the rookie from hitting a wall in the postseason. New York might also contemplate shifting Gil to the bullpen during the playoffs. Of course, removing Gil from the starting pitching lineup leaves the team’s rotation extremely thin.
The Yankees expect starter Clarke Schmidt to return from the injured list during the stretch run in September, which might benefit their pitching staff. Schmidt was on track for a career-best season in 2024 when he was sent on the 15-day injured list at the end of May due to a right lat strain. Setbacks in his recovery caused the Yankees to place Schmidt on the 60-day injured list, but the 28-year-old righty is ready to begin a rehab assignment and should be back with the team in time for the playoffs.
