- READ MORE: Yankees fans rejoice as MLB team makes another shock change
The New York Yankees shut down starting pitcher Luis Gil during a bullpen session on Friday, with him expected to get an MRI on his right shoulder on Saturday.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Gil was experiencing tightness near his pitching shoulder during a pitching session, leading to the injury scare.
It could be a precaution for the Yankees about a month before Major League Baseball’s season starts. Boone and others around the organization are hoping the time off will get their young star back to full health.
Last season, Gil won the American League’s Rookie of the Year after amassing 171 strikeouts in 29 starts last season.
Gil is expected to be part of one of the best starting pitching rotations in baseball in 2025.
Boone has assembled Gil, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt.
Last year was Gil’s first full season in the big leagues after making his MLB debut in 2021 and also making appearances for the Yankees in 2022.
The Yankees are entering a defining year for the franchise after winning the American League pennant last season.
Nearly being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series and losing Juan Soto to the crosstown-rival Mets has tested the faith of the Bronx Bombers.
Should the Yankees fall below their high expectations despite the roster turnover, they would be in line with the last dozen years of the franchise looking to always be in the championship conversation.
Gil’s return, alongside contributions from elsewhere, leading to a return trip to the World Series would signal the team made the right decision sticking by Boone.