Gil leaves minor league start with elbow injury

BALTIMORE — The Yankees’ pitching depth may have taken a hit on Wednesday, as right-hander Luis Gil left his start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with an apparent elbow injury.

According to The Times Tribune of Scranton, Gil pointed to his elbow before being removed in the fifth inning.

Gil was making his first start after being optioned back to Triple-A following his start with the Yankees on May 12, when he allowed four runs in four innings in a win over the White Sox.

With Clarke Schmidt proving valuable in the bullpen and Deivi Garcia having another miserable season, Gil figured to be part of the Yankees’ pitching plans at some point again, especially after he showed promise in six starts with the Yankees in 2021. That’s on hold for now.

The Yankees have had excellent health among their rotation so far. If that changes or they alter their plans to add a sixth starter again, they could still look to JP Sears, who has pitched well at Triple-A, as well as Hayden Wesneski, although he is not on the 40-man roster.

Catching prospect Ben Rortvedt underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair a partially torn meniscus, the team announced.

The procedure went “as expected” and the 24-year-old Rortvedt is expected to be ready to play in games within 6-8 weeks.

Rortvedt arrived from Minnesota this spring, along with Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, in exchange for Gary

Sanchez and Gio Urshela.

At the time, Rortvedt was still dealing with an oblique injury suffered during the offseason. He felt discomfort in his left knee when he began a rehab assignment with Low-A Tampa. He played in just two games before being shut down.

Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks are both in deep funks at the plate.

Gallo had shown signs of coming around offensively for the Yankees, but he has followed a seven-game, 6-for-20 stretch in which he hit a pair of homers by going hitless in three straight games (0-for-13 with eight strikeouts). Desperate Yankees fans at Camden Yards chanted his name after Gallo walked in the ninth, with right-hander Jorge Lopez pitching around him.

Hicks hit leadoff Wednesday and went 0-for-4, leaving him in a 2-for-34 slump.