The Yankees lost a member of their rotation on Wednesday, as the team placed Luis Gil on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain.
The right-hander exited his Tuesday start in the fourth inning with what the Yankees initially called lower back tightness. Gil saw the team’s orthopedic doctor and was reassessed Wednesday before going on the IL.
While Gil said he was “a little worried” on Tuesday, Aaron Boone didn’t sound too concerned about the injury. He even framed it as a potential positive for a pitcher who has thrown a career-high 124.2 innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.
“It’s minor,” Boone said of Gil, who has a 3.39 ERA over 24 starts. “Just some lower back soreness. I think he feels better even already today, and the hope is that he’ll be able to stay pretty active through this stint and hopefully be back pitching right around [the 15 days].
“And hopefully, in the grand scheme of things, it serves as something that helps preserve him a little bit and saves some stuff for him down the stretch, too. So don’t expect it to be long.”
Boone added that Gil should be able to throw live batting during his IL stint, which will allow him to keep his pitch count up.
Gil’s workload has been a topic of conversation all season, and many have wondered whether his unprecedented innings count — and electric stuff — could lead to a role in the bullpen by season’s end.
Boone said that Gil will “probably” return as a starter — he’d be a deserving Game 2 option in a playoff series — but the skipper didn’t shut the door on the 26-year-old working in relief.
“I think he can be a weapon anywhere,” Boone said. “When Luis Gil’s on his game, buckle up, whether that’s as a starter or in a shorter burst. He’s really only known starting, so we’ll just see.”
Clarke Schmidt, on the other hand, has big league experience in both roles.
Sidelined by a lat strain since June 18, he will make his first rehab start on Friday, likely with Double-A Somerset. He hoped to throw around 50 pitches, but Boone said Schmidt will be closer to the 40-45 range.
Schmidt added that he expects to make “a few” rehab starts, but he could finish his build-up in the majors depending on the Yankees’ needs.
“I feel really good,” the righty said, “so hopefully it’s not too many.”
Schmidt was pitching well before getting hurt, recording a 2.52 ERA over 11 starts. But like Gil, some have wondered if he could end up in a Yankees bullpen that needs some reinforcements.
“I was just focused on the rehab and getting back,” Schmidt said. “That stuff always works itself out. It’s always funny how it works out. I knew I was building up, as far as the pitch count goes, as a starter.”
Boone was also asked about Schmidt potentially pitching in relief. Just as he did with Gil, he left the door open.
“Everything’s on the table as we move forward,” Boone said. “A lot of times, it’ll all show itself to you as the days and the weeks unfold. The biggest thing is Clarke’s in a good spot right now. We’re building him up. Before he went down, he was one of, if not, our best starters the first two months of the season. So what I’m really excited about is how he’s trending and that we’re going to get a very good pitcher back in the mix.”
One starter who was certainly available out of the bullpen, if only for Wednesday’s game against the Guardians, was Will Warren. He took Gil’s spot on the roster with the Yankees’ relievers taxed from a 12-inning loss on Tuesday.
BHUTAN VISITS THE BRONX
One day after their High-A affiliate, the Hudson Valley Renegades, did the same, the Yankees hosted the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association (BBSA) on Wednesday.
Delegates and 12 players from the organization toured Yankee Stadium, sat in on Boone’s daily pregame press conference, and watched batting practice from the field. The group also took photos with Boone and Aaron Judge, among others, and received autographs.
And here's Aaron Judge posing for a group photo with the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association. #Yankees https://t.co/Y40QwbbMFJ pic.twitter.com/I96geHxUKs
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 21, 2024
The Renegades organized the BBSA’s six-day trip, which also included a clinic with Hudson Valley coaches and players and a tour of MLB’s office in Manhattan.
“The Yankees are excited to welcome the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association to Yankee Stadium, and we look forward to providing them an unforgettable experience,” Brian Cashman said in a statement. “Their joy of the game reminds me of how I felt about baseball when it was first introduced to me, and it also speaks to how many parts of the world still have room for our game to take root.”
Located on the eastern edge of the Himalayas in Southeast Asia, Bhutan has a population of nearly 800,000 people. The BBSA features four baseball and four softball leagues for children ages 6-15.
OTHER REHAB UPDATES
Boone said that Jon Berti (calf) is expected to start a rehab assignment with Somerset on Friday.
Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo (broken arm) told Newsday’s Erik Boland that he will likely start a rehab assignment with Somerset this weekend. The plan is for him to only DH at first.
Ian Hamilton (lat) is also expected to start a rehab assignment with Somerset on Saturday.
Finally, Jazz Chisholm Jr. (elbow sprain) took on-field batting practice on Wednesday.
