Spring Training brings many different narratives with it. Some are trying to continue their great form of last season, while others are trying to forget the memories of the same. The New York Yankees come in the latter category. But even within them multiple plots are waiting to unfold, one of them is the impending return of the prodigal son – Luis Gil. 

Gil exploded onto the scene in 2021. The then no.5 Yankees prospect showed his wicked field intelligence and fastballs. Unfortunately, an elbow injury and the resulting Tommy John surgery made him lose out on 2022 and 2023. Finally, Gil is returning in 2024 and the Yankees are ready to give him a great opportunity to bounce back.

New York Yankees get ready for their first three Spring Training games

The Bronx Bombers are set to have three games this weekend. On Saturday, they’ll be facing the Detroit Tigers while the squad will be split in two on Sunday. The first one will play against the Toronto Blue Jays in Tampa, while the second one will be with the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. Now The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner has shared that Luis Gil will be starting the game against the Tigers. Carlos Rodon will start against the Blue Jays and Marcus Stroman will pitch against the Phillies. 

Ever since his Tommy John surgery, Luis Gil has been rehabbing relentlessly. The pitcher was able to make a short return to the minor leagues by the end of 2023. As a result, he’s hoping to relocate the form that made him a top prospect in 2021. That season, Gil had 38 strikeouts in 29.1 innings and a 3.07 ERA. He also made history by not allowing a run over his first 18.2 innings – the longest scoreless streak by a Yankees player on his debut. 

Gil’s return to form hasn’t been anything short of inspiring. Even after suffering a massive setback this early in his career, the Yankees pitcher remained positive. The Yankees fireballing pitcher has recovered so much that his fastballs are going over 96mph. 

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With this start, the Pinstripes have also shown their belief in the 25-year-old. That belief was evident even before this, due to the comments from the coaching staff.

The Pinstripes’ belief in Luis Gil 

The Yankees traded the likes of Michael King and Drew Thorpe to the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. This could be a blessing in disguise for Gil as without these pitchers, chances of him becoming a part of the bullpen are certainly higher. Skipper Aaron Boone has referred to Gil as one of the youngsters who can impact the Yankees in 2024. 

This start in the first game of the Spring Training certainly bodes well for the 25-year-old. Now it’s up to Gil about how will he take advantage of this? One certainly hopes that a talented pitcher like him finds his groove once again.

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