Yankees’ Lewis Gill Struggles in Season Debut

In Miami, Lewis Gill’s first start of the season left fans hoping for better in his next outing.

“I felt really, really good, and that’s what matters,” Gill shared through an interpreter on Sunday. Despite giving up five runs in five innings, resulting in a 7-3 defeat against the Marlins, he focused on the positives: his health and the movement on his pitches. “If you have to take something positive from the outing, you’re back to being healthy today,” he added.

This game marked Gill’s first appearance for the Yankees since starting Game 4 of the World Series against the Dodgers last October. He had been nervous during spring training due to a right arm issue, which led to an MRI revealing high-grade LAT strains.

After four minor league appearances, he felt ready to step in and contribute to the Yankees as they faced the Marlins. However, his initial performance had its struggles. He started the game with singles but then faced challenges in the second inning, walking multiple batters.

In the fourth inning, with the Yankees trailing 3-1, things took a turn for the worse. Gill allowed a fourth walk along with a single, leading to Brent Headrick coming in and giving up a three-run homer.

“It’s obviously a struggle,” noted Aaron Boone, the Yankees’ manager, reflecting on Gill’s outing. He pointed out moments where Gill seemed to find a little rhythm, especially in the third inning, but ultimately, it faded.

Gill managed to throw 77 pitches, as noted by pitching coach Matt Blake. Out of those, 44 were strikes. Unfortunately, he only managed to throw first-pitch strikes to eight of the 19 batters. His ten outs consisted of two grounders, five fly balls, and three strikeouts.

“Yeah, definitely the order there didn’t help. It didn’t command the way I wanted,” Gill admitted, acknowledging the challenges he faced.

The 27-year-old righty is aware of the Yankees’ current situation; they’re third in the AL East and in a tight race for the wildcard, just 2½ games ahead of the Rangers. Gill recognizes that he can’t afford to take his time in regaining form from last season.

“Our team is fighting and we’re going to continue to be where we want to be,” he asserted. “We need to make quick adjustments and start supporting this ball club.”