Gil on hill against Chisox Thursday
Luis Gil will start for the Yankees on Thursday to open a series against the White Sox in Chicago. The Bombers need a sixth starter because of back-to-back rainouts over the weekend. They are in a run of 23 games in 22 days.
Gil made a big splash when he came up to the big leagues last season. He did not give up a run through his first three starts. He ended up making six emergency starts for the Yankees as they dealt with injuries and finished with a 3.07 ERA. Hr struck out 38 over 29.1 innings pitched, but also walked 19.
“The talent is obviously there. When he came up here last year, he pitched well for us, as we saw him pitching some important games for us,” Aaron Boone said. “He’s got off to a little bit of a slow start in AAA, but he’s coming off a really strong outing, probably his best outing. He’s built up to a full starter load, so he’s at whatever you want, 100 pitches, he can do that. And just feel like coming off the last start he had, which was probably his best work, I think he’s dealt with some cold weather things as well . . . . His work’s been really good in between these last two, so feel like he’s the guy to go to at this moment.”
Gil is off to a rough start in Triple-A this season. Through five starts, he has a 9.53 ERA. he’s struck out 25 and walked 12 in 17 innings. His last start, May 5, Gil allowed two earned runs and struck out nine in five innings.
Pitching coach Matt Blake said Gil’s struggles early this season were something they “wrestled with,” in making the decision, but ultimately Gil was stretched out to a full starter’s load. That was the deciding factor.
Clarke Schmidt, who started the season in the bullpen but was sent down when the roster was cut from 28 to 26, was also considered. Schmidt, however, is not stretched out.
THE CENTER OF IT ALL
Aaron Judge made his 10th start in center field Tuesday night. Boone likes the ability to slide the slugger there to get Giancarlo Stanton into the field and use the designated hitter spot for another player he feels could use some time off his feet. Tuesday night, it was Josh Donadlson.
The 10 starts at center field are a third of the games played this season. In 2021, Judge started 21 games in center. He had not played there before that since 2018.
It’s no longer a novelty, but something Boone is very comfortable with.
“He thinks of himself as a center fielder. I’ll tell you that much. He loves playing out there,” Boone said. “And look, the reason I’ve gone to him so many times out there in the back half of last season and this year is one, the fact that we can get Giancarlo out there as much as I have, but the other is that he plays the position really well. So I just look at it as he’s a good baseball player. He’s a really good defender. And he’s shown that in right (field) and now with more extended reps in center field as well.” Judge was a center fielder in
college.
GALLO OUT
Joey Gallo was out of the lineup Tuesday night after playing in the last four games. Boone said it was just a good night to give him rest, despite the fact he was hitting .333 against Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi. Boone cited the groin injury that had him missing three straight games last week.
Gallo has a few hits over the last week, but is still struggling. He’s slashing .183/.284/.324 with a .608 OPS with three home runs.
“I do feel like he’s started to gain a little bit of traction where he’s consistently throwing a hit out there and getting on base a little bit more,” Boone said.