What's been most impressive about the New York Yankees' strong start to the 2025 MLB season has been their ability to string wins together despite some devastating injuries, particularly on the pitching side. Not only is Gerrit Cole going to miss the entire season, but Luis Gil has yet to throw a pitch either. Fortunately, Gil is getting ever so closer to making an impact for the Yankees, and once he does return, New York will have an uncomfortable decision to make.
When Gil returns remains to be seen, but the right-hander took a huge step toward pitching for the Yankees on Friday when he threw a 15-pitch bullpen session from the mound at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time Gil threw from a mound since suffering his lat strain in spring training. He still has a bit to go before embarking on a rehab assignment, but he's inching back.
Once Gil does return, he'll enter the team's starting rotation. That decision will force Aaron Boone to make a tough decision, no matter what he decides to do.
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Luis Gil's eventual return will force Aaron Boone to make a tough decision
Adding Gil to the mix is obviously a good thing. He was the American League's Rookie of the Year last season after posting a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts and 151.2 innings of work. The only question, though, is what do the Yankees do with their rotation?
Even without Cole and Gil, the Yankees' starting rotation has been a strength. Their rotation ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.38 ERA and tied for sixth in the majors with 5.5 fWAR. In the month of May, Yankees starters are leading the majors with a 2.45 ERA and lead the American League with 4.1 fWAR.
At the beginning of the year, it felt as if Max Fried was the only reliable arm in this rotation. Not only is he pitching like a Cy Young candidate, but Carlos Rodon has thrown the ball as well as he ever has in pinstripes, both Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren have rebounded after sluggish starts, and Ryan Yarbrough has given the team a major lift as a starter. This team suddenly has five very potent starters. What do the Yankees do?
Yankees upcoming rotation dilemma doesn't have a clear answer
One potential option would be to go to a six-man rotation, adding Gil into the mix following their current five starters. This decision would allow everyone currently in the rotation to remain starters and also lessen the workload, which is important for a team with World Series aspirations.
While that sounds good in theory, moving to a six-man rotation means the Yankees will be using their best arms, Fried and Rodon, less often. Yarbrough, for example, has certainly pitched well enough to stick around in the rotation, but is it really worth keeping him in the rotation if that means Fried and Rodon pitch less? That can be debated.
Ultimately, this is a win-win scenario for Aaron Boone. Either way, he adds a dynamic arm to an already elite rotation. Gil could be an X-Factor of sorts as the Yankees hope to finish what they failed to last season.