Luis Gil's Yankees career takes another troubling turn after abrupt injury update

Outside of dominating the Boston Red Sox earlier this year, New York Yankees starter Luis Gil hasn't had much to hang his hat on. Dating back to last season after dealing with a lat injury, the 2024 Rookie of the Year hasn't been the same. That got him demoted to Triple-A a couple weeks ago.

And things took another turn on Friday when Gil was placed on the seven-day injured list with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Shortly after it was revealed the right-hander is dealing with shoulder inflammation.

The RailRiders did not reveal the reason behind his IL placement, which only raised concern because Gil wasn't experiencing any issues amid his struggles. We initially thought it could be a phantom IL stint to help him get back on track, but it looks like there could be some lasting effects from last year's ailment.

He made only one start at Triple-A and allowed three earned runs on four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. That's not exactly a departure from his usual output when he logged a 6.05 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in four starts with the Bombers.

What's next for Luis Gil after Yankees place him on injured list?

Gil will be shut down from throwing for three weeks, according to Aaron Boone. That probably puts him out for closer to six weeks considering he will need a proper build-up after that with bullpen sessions, live batting practice, and rehab starts.

This isn't the end of the road for Gil with the Yankees, but it feels like it could be the start of it. He's already in his age-28 campaign, and unless he does a complete 180 upon his return, he's looking at two lost seasons due to injuries and/or lackluster production.

The sad part is that this isn't a departure from his career track record. Gil has been injured since he began his professional career with the Twins, and he required Tommy John surgery in 2022 after seven starts into his Yankees tenure.

Yankees fans are wishing the best for Gil, who they hope can return to his Rookie of the Year form. Although that's looking a bit more like an anomaly at this point, everybody knows the talent is there. He just needs to hone the consistency and get over the health issues.

Thankfully, the Yankees have the depth to weather Gil's absence. Elmer Rodriguez and Brendan Beck have filled in admirably, and now Carlos Rodón is returning from the IL on Sunday. In the short-term, the solutions are there. And that certainly helps because it feels like Gil's journey to rediscover himself is going to be a long-term issue.

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