Many expectations had been generated with the return of Luis Gil to the New York Yankees rotation after several months out through injury, but the 2024 MLB Rookie of the Year could not do himself justice in Miami and now there are more doubts than certainties about his level.
Gil was hit hard by the Marlins at loanDepot Park in South Florida, where he allowed five hits and the same number of earned runs in 3.1 innings of work on Sunday. The right-hander struck out three, but showed notable command problems and walked four.
All of this translated into another defeat for the Yankees, who left Miami with a resounding sweep that puts them further behind Toronto and Boston in the race for the American League East Division pennant. The Bronx Bombers now have a 12-17 record in their last 29 games, among the worst in the majors since June 30.
Luis Gil’s return, after being sidelined with a right dorsal muscle strain, was supposed to give the Yankees a bit of a breather, but the story did not end well. However, his performance on Sunday does not differ much from what he had done in his four rehab outings between Double-A and Triple-A.
At those levels of the Minor Leagues with the Yankees affiliates, the Dominican allowed nine earned runs and 11 hits, including four home runs. His ERA soared to 5.65, although somehow he masked his statistics with a very high rate of 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
On Sunday, he continued in the same vein, although the Yankees were at least satisfied with the power of Gil’s pitches. The right-hander brushed 99 mph with his four-seam fastball and topped 90 with his changeup and slider, figures that are in the realm of his usual averages.
The Yankees were the third-worst team in ERA (5.65) in July, ahead of only Atlanta (5.80) and Colorado (6.17). With these numbers, it will be virtually impossible for them to stay in the postseason race.
Read the full article here
