Coming into spring training, the New York Yankees put together one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
They signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal — the largest contract ever for a left-handed pitcher. Fried, a two-time All-Star in his eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, had a stellar 2024 with a 3.25 ERA, 166 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings, a 128 ERA+, and 3.33 FIP across 29 starts.
The Yankees added Fried to a rotation already featuring former American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon — who bounced back after suffering a terrible first year in the Bronx — and Clarke Schmidt.
But now, the Yankees are dealing with a major injury concern to their rotation.
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Star New York Yankees pitcher to get MRI on ailing pitching shoulder
Gil, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 after making just one start and didn’t pitch in the majors in 2023, is getting an MRI on his right (pitching) shoulder after experiencing discomfort.
“He just felt tight and wasn’t able to really let it go,” manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Boone added that he believes Gil will miss “some time” because of it.
“Any time they pull themselves from a bullpen a couple of pitches in, that’s concerning,” Boone told Hoch.
Gil bounced back impressively in 2024, capturing the AL Rookie of the Year award after posting a 15-7 record, 3.50 ERA, 117 ERA+, 4.14 FIP, and an AL-leading .189 batting average against. He also threw a career-high 151 2/3 innings. Prior to last year, Gil had pitched just 33 1/3 innings in the majors.
With Gil sidelined and no timetable for his return, the Yankees could turn to Marcus Stroman, Will Warren, and Carlos Carrasco to fill the void in their rotation.