Luis Gil’s first shot in a Triple-A bullpen role gave the Yankees exactly the kind of glimpse they’ve been waiting for.
After being briefly “returned” from his rehab assignment with High-A Hudson Valley on Tuesday, Gil wasn’t headed back to the injured list or dealing with another setback. Instead, he was moved to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and, for the first time in months of speculation, tried the bullpen path in earnest.
The early signs were hard to miss. Gil threw two shutout innings Tuesday night, and the fastball was the whole point of the exercise.
He reached 97.6 MPH with his heater, a noticeable jump from the 94.9 MPH average fastball velocity he opened the 2026 season with. He struck out two, and he also ran into the same old issue that has followed him around: two walks with two outs in his second inning before he worked out of the jam.
Of his 37 pitches, 33 were fastballs.
That’s the tension with Gil in a relief role. The stuff can still play. The control has always been the question.
Last season, Gil walked 33 batters in 57 healthy innings and still managed to post a 3.32 ERA with a 4.63 FIP. Even then, his fastball had lost some of its edge, which is why the idea of moving him to the bullpen had been floating around. But the walk rate kept that conversation from getting too far ahead of itself.
Now the Yankees are at least testing the theory.
Asked about Gil’s potential move to the bullpen on Tuesday, pitching coach Matt Blake didn’t offer a grand declaration, but he left the door open: "I think so... That's definitely a guy that's on the roster and has had success with us."
If Gil does make it back to the majors in this role, it may come down to a very narrow opening. Clarke Schmidt looks like the likely candidate if there’s only one compressed starter spot available, and Yerry de los Santos, after two rough innings in Baltimore in the series opener, didn’t appear to be the obvious name to push aside.
For Gil, the assignment is clear: lean on the fastball and see whether the added velocity can unlock something the Yankees haven’t consistently gotten for two summers. The next few weeks should tell them plenty about whether this version works, or whether the command issues keep getting in the way.
One opponent has been a constant for him, though. Against one team, Gil is 3-1 with a 0.80 ERA in six career starts.
One of those came this season, when he allowed no earned runs on two hits in 6 1/3 innings. In his other three starts this year, he gave up 13 runs on 13 hits in 13 innings.
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