TAMPA — The Quest for Lewis Gil in 2024 Continues

As the search for Lewis Gil proceeds, there’s still a bit of time left to determine his place, but the Yankees right-hander knows he can’t take too long.

In what was nearly his final spring start, Gil had an eventful outing against the Tigers on Sunday, hitting three home runs and earning seven RBIs while allowing nine hits in just three innings. It sounds impressive, right? Yet, he required 68 pitches just to secure nine outs. His velocity showed slight improvement, but unfortunately, he struggled with command and overall sharpness throughout the game.

“I really feel like we’re closing in on Gil’s 2024 form,” pitching coach Matt Blake remarked following the Yankees’ 12-1 defeat to the Tigers at Steinbrenner Field.

When Aaron Boone was asked about Gil’s importance to the rotation, he referred to him simply as “one of five guys.”

Despite this, there are four upcoming days off before the Yankees head into their 10th game, allowing them some leeway in figuring out the best way to manage their rotation early in the season.

As it stands, Gil still has a minor league option available. If the Yankees decide to deploy all five players from the opening roster, they could potentially rotate one starter behind another, especially before Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole come back from the IL. This makes Gil’s next start critical as he has the chance to demonstrate his ability to return to the dominant form he had in the first half of 2024.

“Ultimately, I was able to stay focused on what I needed to do,” Gil stated through an interpreter. “Being consistent means focusing on things within your control, honing your skills, and trying to maintain that consistency. It’s a process, and I think that’s key.” Gil, who was sidelined last year for four months due to a lat strain, averaged a fastball speed of 95.8 mph on Sunday, slightly up from 95.3 mph in 2025, with a peak of 97.5 mph.

However, rather disappointingly, he didn’t record any strikeouts during 18 fastballs thrown, and only managed two strikeouts in 19 swings overall.

“It’s definitely under consideration,” Blake acknowledged. “The profile from ’24 to now is looking different. It’s slightly slower, which impacts the ride and can affect pitch visibility. But as spring training has unfolded, his velocity seems to be on the upswing.”

He added, “Ultimately, the experience of the hitters is going to guide us, and we need to find ways to get those strikeouts.” Among the three home runs given up by Gil on Sunday, one was a changeup to Spencer Torkelson, another was a slider to Matt Viering, and the last one was a fastball to Riley Greene.

Gil left the game feeling optimistic about the enhancement in his fastball, though he felt his changeup fell short. Boone, who had previously mentioned wanting to see more from Gil, was asked if he felt satisfied with what he had seen with just a week left in camp. “I’ve seen a lot of good from Lewis, and I notice new positives every time,” Boone explained. “I want him to rediscover that level he had in the first half of ’24, as he’s still grappling with getting those swing-and-miss heaters. However, I don’t want to overlook the positive strides he has made in some of his previous starts. Today was a tough outing, but the goal is to bounce back and continue improving.”