BOSTON — Before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Red Sox, Aaron Boone was asked a pointed question. Was Luis Gil thinking about his job security? The question was fair. After seven earned runs in nine innings across his first two starts this season, Gil had entered the night 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA, looking like a pitcher whose time in the Yankees rotation was running short.
Boone answered the way managers always answer for pitchers under pressure. He said Gil was focused on the start in front of him.
What made Tuesday’s night different was that it turned out to be true.
A start the Yankees needed from Gil
Gil tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while walking three and striking out two. He threw 83 pitches. The Yankees won 4-0 in what became their major league-leading fifth shutout of the season and their fourth straight victory.
It was not a performance that resembled the 2024 Rookie of the Year version of Gil. Not even close. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.6 mph, down 1.8 mph in cold Fenway conditions. His slider dropped 3.6 mph. He generated only four whiffs total. His changeup and sinker lacked their usual movement. And he walked the last two batters he faced before Boone came out to pull him.
But the results held. That matters right now more than the metrics.
Giancarlo Stanton, who drove in all three of the Yankees’ first runs with a second-inning homer and a sixth-inning double, described what Gil looked like from the dugout on a night when the velocity numbers told one story and the scoreboard told another.
“He was awesome, especially getting a lot of soft outs,” Stanton said. “A lot of staying away from the barrel, and he did a good job getting deep with not a lot of pitches.”
Soft outs. That is the phrase that defines what Gil produced. He did not overpower Boston. He worked efficiently against a lineup that entered the game ranked 23rd in runs scored and 24th in wRC+. Brent Headrick, Tim Hill and David Bednar followed him and combined for a clean finish.
The rotation clock is ticking regardless
A good outing does not solve Gil’s problem. It only delays the conversation.
Gerrit Cole is scheduled for his second rehab start Thursday. Carlos Rodon is set to make his first rehab start Friday. When both pitchers are ready to return, the Yankees’ rotation will have more arms than it has spots. Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are all currently in place. Adding Cole and Rodon means someone moves out.
Gil is the lowest-ranked pitcher on that depth chart. He still has a minor league option. He is not considered an ideal bullpen candidate given his workload history and pitch mix. If he gets displaced, the most likely outcome is a return to Triple-A Scranton rather than a role change.
The question of timing is the only real variable. Boone has said Rodon is expected to make at least three rehab starts before returning. Cole is moving on a measured pace following Tommy John surgery. Neither is imminent. But the clock is visible and running.
Within that framework, Tuesday’s start matters specifically because Gil cannot afford to confirm the concerns before help arrives. Three poor starts in a row would have made the decision much easier for the organization. One scoreless outing bought him more runway, even if the destination has not changed.
Boone was asked after the game what a performance like Tuesday’s means for a pitcher working to hold his spot. The manager was careful but hopeful.
“Hopefully that’s something that he builds on and continues to go,” Boone said, “because we know how good he can be when he’s right.”
What Gil said about his own situation
Gil has been working on his release point and delivery since camp. He opened the season in Triple-A because the Yankees did not need a fifth starter immediately. He was recalled April 10 and gave up home runs in bunches in his first two outings. He did not look like the pitcher who went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA to win the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award.
He also has gone 2-1 with a 0.99 ERA in five career starts against the Red Sox. Tuesday pushed his career numbers against Boston to just three earned runs in 33 2/3 innings. There is something about this matchup that brings out a version of Gil the Yankees want to see more consistently elsewhere.
After the win, Gil was asked directly whether thoughts about Cole and Rodon re-entering the rotation have been occupying his mind. The question is one every reporter in the Fenway Park interview room wanted answered. His response was simple and clear.
“To be honest, no, not at all,” Gil said through an interpreter. “My focus is to execute pitches and get strikes out there. And then at the end, you’re gonna let them figure it out.”
That philosophy produced a scoreless line Tuesday. Whether it holds when the fastball is back at full velocity and the lineups get tougher on the nine-game road trip remains to be seen. Gil has two more starts, possibly three, before the logjam forces a decision. He handled the first one.
For a pitcher told to stay in the moment and not think about the future, that is the only thing that counts right now.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
