ARLINGTON, Texas — Baseball has a way of working itself out.
Not long ago, manager Aaron Boone was frequently fielding questions about Gerrit Cole before he returned from injured reserve in June.
Most of it had to do with what the Yankees would do with the opening for Cole in their full rotation, but Clark Schmidt was injured in late May and that was hardly a decision.
Then on Monday night, the Yankees faced another rotation crisis when Gerrit Cole withdrew from the mound with a trainer in the bottom of the seventh. But if Cole's right calf cramps are as innocuous as they seemed when the announcement was made, the Yankees will have to make decisions about their rotation in the coming days with no easy solutions.
Luis Gil threw 80 pitches in a rehab appearance on Sunday and is expected to return to the starting rotation this weekend against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Clark Schmidt made his third and likely final rehab appearance for Double-A Somerset on Monday night and is expected to return this weekend for Chicago.
Boone suggested Monday that the Yankees may go with a six-man rotation at one point while Gill and Schmidt return, but he has no plans to implement that for the remainder of the season, meaning some tough decisions are looming.
“We'll see what happens,” Boone said Monday before the Yankees open their series against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. “We're not at that stage yet. Hopefully something happens or something comes up that makes the decision for us. Hopefully when we get to that stage, we're in a position where we have to make a tough decision on somebody, and we will do that when we need to.”
Boone also said the Yankees could “get creative in other ways,” which could mean sharing two starting pitchers, though he didn't specify how.
“We're going to be working through this over the next 24 to 48 hours,” Boone said.
With the Yankees sitting a half-game behind the Orioles atop the AL East as of Monday, there's still a lot at stake in September, but ultimately what the Yankees believe is most beneficial for them heading into October may be the deciding factor.
As of now, Cole is scheduled to start Monday night, with Carlos Rodon starting on Tuesday and Marcus Stroman starting on Wednesday.
After a rest day on Thursday, both Gil and Nestor Cortes will be on their usual rest schedule and are expected to start Friday's series opener against the Cubs.
Cole (3.86 ERA as of Monday) is sure to remain in the rotation if he stays healthy while trying to get back on track after missing the first 2 1/2 months of the season with elbow neuritis.
Rodon (4.31) is likely to stay despite some inconsistency over the past two months following a strong start to the season.
Stroman (3.81) has performed well in his past four starts since regressing due to mechanics adjustments, while Cortes (4.08) looked to be turning things around but then regressed on Sunday.
Schmidt hasn't pitched in a major league game since May 26 because of back tightness, but he posted a 2.86 ERA through his first 11 starts and has returned to starting pitching quality during his rehab. Like Cortes, the right-hander also has experience as a relief pitcher.
And then there's Gill, who may be the biggest wild card of all. He got off to a dominant start and was a potential Cy Young candidate, but struggled in late June, bounced back and then hurt his back on Aug. 20.
He's already well past his career high in innings pitched, and a move to the bullpen — where his strikeout pitching could come in handy — would help him manage that workload.
But if he's healthy, his greatest impact could come as a starter, and he said Monday he “definitely” thinks he can regain his dominant form early in the season.
“Looking at the whole season and the way I played at the beginning of the season, I think there's a very good chance I can come back to that point and compete at that level,” Gil said through a translator. “Right now I'm feeling good and hopefully I can get a chance to get in and compete in the playoffs.”
