Yankees' Luis Gil still has problems in start vs. Mets
Luis Gil #81 of the Yankees looks on during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Yankees don’t believe that Luis Gil’s recent struggles are a physical issue but, at the very least, the trend is concerning: back-to-back games where he’s struggled to establish his fastball and back-to-back games where teams have feasted on his miscues.
“He was just having a hard time owning his delivery,” Aaron Boone said after their 12-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field Wednesday. “I think tonight was more about being a little bit more out of whack mechanically and therefore he lacked the consistency in his fastball shape and the command of it.”
Coming off his first truly poor start of the season, Gil labored against the Mets, allowing five runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 4 1⁄3 innings, and showed signs of what plagued him during his disaster outing against the Orioles earlier this month — a game where he only lasted 1 1⁄3 innings and gave up eight runs.
In what has otherwise been an All-Star caliber season, his outing caused concern simply because this is his first time shouldering this kind of workload on a professional level. The rookie has never pitched more than 108 2⁄3 innings in a pro season, and is already up to 85 2⁄3 innings pitched.
Neither Boone nor Gil think this is a fatigue issue, but the manager did acknowledge that it’s something to keep an eye on. There is currently no innings cap on Gil, and both typified his recent struggles as normal growing pains.
“Of course that’s the question,” Boone said about the possibility of fatigue. “We’ll see. He seems to be in a really good physical place.”
Gil allowed a leadoff double to Francisco Lindor, and loaded the bases with two outs on a hit by pitch and walk before getting Tyrone Taylor to pop out to the catcher. Gil cruised through the second, but couldn’t squirm out of trouble in the third: He allowed another leadoff double to Lindor, walked Brandon Nimmo, and gave up an RBI single to J.D. Martinez. Two outs later, Francisco Alvarez walloped a letter-high 98.2 mph fastball to the bullpen in right for a two-run shot.
Still, he battled, but eventually walked two in the fifth to bring in Caleb Ferguson, who allowed one of the inherited runners to score before the game was delayed by rain.
“I feel very healthy and like I mentioned before, I feel very strong,” Gil said through an interpreter. “When you’re trying to execute pitches, sometimes your rhythm and mechanics might be a little off but there’s no doubt in my mind that working hard and getting the repetitions that you want that I can get back on track.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.