Yankees' Luis Gil won't throw a baseball for at least six weeks because of lat strain

TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees didn’t get a worst-case diagnosis when it came to Luis Gil.

They also didn’t come close to a best-case one.

Gil, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, was diagnosed with what manager Aaron Boone described as a “high-grade lat strain” in his right side.

Boone, speaking before Monday night’s 12-3 win over the Pirates, said Gil will not throw for “at least” six weeks. He also said Marcus Stroman will slide into Gil’s rotation spot.

“He’s still got to be examined by Doc [team physician Christopher Ahmad] and then get the other opinions on everything,” Boone said. “But it’s a real thing.”

Gil, who went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in a career-high 151 2⁄3 innings last season, pulled himself from a bullpen session after just a few pitches on Friday because of tightness in his shoulder area.

When a reporter started a question with the premise of getting Gil “back” at some point this season, Boone said, “We hope.”

He added, “Again, they still have to examine him and make sure other opinions and [everyone] weigh in, but right now it looks like a six-week no-throw.”

Gil made one start for the Yankees in 2022, on May 12, tore his ulnar collateral ligament while pitching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 18, had Tommy John surgery six days later and missed all of the 2023 season, aside from two minor-league appearances.

He was an afterthought entering spring training 2024 — and was even reassigned to minor-league camp after three weeks — before an electric start on March 11 in Clearwater against the Phillies’ “A’’ lineup sparked a three-start stretch that won him the fifth starter job. His emergence helped the Yankees overcome the loss of Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation), who didn’t make his first start until June 19.

“Tough moment right there to digest,” Gil said through his interpreter before Monday’s game. “And then you gotta kind of start thinking about how to move forward and go along whatever the journey may be.”

Clarke Schmidt can relate. The righthander, off to a terrific start last season — 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA through 11 starts — suffered a lat strain on May 26 in San Diego. His next big-league start was Sept. 7.

“It’s a big muscle, especially for throwing. It’s probably the biggest muscle you’re using when you’re throwing,” Schmidt said late Monday afternoon, reacting to the Gil diagnosis. “You can’t hide from it. If you have other injuries or things going on, sometimes you can make compromises and figure out ways to keep throwing with it. But this, you feel it every time you’re throwing. Everything you do, you feel it.”

Schmidt, who said he needed four weeks of no-throw (compared to the six Boone mentioned for Gil), said rehabbing the injury took patience.

“I think any time you’re dealing with stuff that’s kind of up in your shoulder, if you don’t take care of it, it potentially comes back or maybe surgery [is] an option,” Schmidt said. “So you have to be very meticulous and very dialed in on your routine to prevent anything major happening.”

It certainly was major news for the rotation, though how big a blow it is cannot yet be determined. Stroman, a two-time All-Star who was the odd man out of the rotation until Gil’s injury, is 87-85 with a 3.72 ERA in his 10-year career. Stroman, who prides himself on his physical conditioning and overall preparation, has been durable in building that record, reaching 30 starts four times and at least 25 starts seven times.

Things thin out a bit behind Stroman. Next in line probably would be prospect Will Warren, who mostly struggled last season in six outings (five starts) but has drawn raves from the Yankees and rival scouts about how he’s thrown the ball in spring training. Carlos Carrasco, a nonroster invitee who has a big-league out in his contract later this month, also has thrown the ball well.

“We still feel like we have good depth,” Boone said. “You know these things [injuries], unfortunately, come and they do at different times of the year. Hopefully overall you can stay fairly healthy, but unfortunately, these things are inevitable.”

Fried gets his work in

Lefthander Max Fried, signed to an eight-year, $218 million free-agent deal in December and expected to slot into the rotation behind Cole, made his first start of spring training Monday night. Building his pitch count to 49, Fried allowed two runs, two hits and a walk in 2 1⁄3 innings.

Fried left with two on and one out in the third and was charged with both runs when lefty Ryan Anderson allowed a three-run homer by Joey Bart.

 With David Lennon