Yankees activate Luis Gil from IL, option Scott Effross to minors

The Yankees have been activated Luis Gil from the IL on Thursday, bringing a significant portion of their pitching staff back for the final sprint.

To make room for Gil on the active roster, reliever Scott Effross was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Gil, who was so good early in the season that he was named an All-Star Game starter for the American League, had struggled prior to coming to the IL due to a lower back injury.

In his last two starts before his injury, he gave up four runs in 4.0 innings against the White Sox and three runs in 3.0 innings against the Guardians, a game he had to leave because of his back problems.

Gil has thrown 124.2 innings this season in what is his first year back from Tommy John surgery. His previous career-high was 29.1 in 2021.

It’s unclear if the Yanks have a soft cap on Gil in terms of innings, but his recent struggles combined with the struggles of Clay Holmes have created a situation where it might make sense to use him as a high-leverage reliever.

The Yanks are currently in the midst of a closer-by-committee after Holmes’ blown save earlier this week, his 11th save of the season and his worst performance in the league.

But Gil will return as a starting pitcher, at least initially, and he will get the ball when New York opens a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday in Chicago.