How Luis Gil Can Avoid Being Demoted When Clarke Schmidt Returns to Yankees

Luis Gil is back with the Yankees, but he could be on the chopping block when Clarke Schmidt returns.

Sep 10, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil (81) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees could add two key pieces to the bullpen by the time October rolls around. In addition to Ryan Weathers, the Yankees have Clarke Schmidt progressing closer towards a return to the majors.

Before Friday's Subway Series game, Aaron Boone revealed that Schmidt could be an option during the Yankees' road trip next week. In the meantime, the 30-year-old righty will make one last rehab appearance on Saturday.

Clarke Schmidt will make one final rehab appearance tomorrow and then could join the Yankees for their road trip next week, per @BryanHoch pic.twitter.com/C85BQGnmsM

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 11, 2026

With Schmidt's return imminent and Weathers also on his way back, the Yankees will need to free up bullpen spots for both. One of those will almost certainly be created by sending down Bradley Hanner, who was just called up on Friday. But the other will be a bit more complicated.

One of the arms potentially on the chopping block is Luis Gil, who is looking to finally find consistency, this time in a relief role.

Luis Gil's results in the bullpen

Of course, Gil is just two years removed from winning AL Rookie of the Year, which saw him strike out 171 batters across 151.2 innings and 29 starts. But continued control issues and injuries have significantly hurt his standing in the starting rotation.

As a result, the 28-year-old was utilized as a reliever in his last three appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being called up to the Yankees on Aug. 30. He's made two appearances so far, both in low-leverage situations.

Luis Gil since transitioning to a bullpen role in the minor leagues:

6.2 IP, 4 H, 8 SO, 0 ER, .167 BAA

Fastball has gotten up to 97.6 MPH. A name to watch for the potential playoff bullpen. Gil could be a dominant force in a one inning role. pic.twitter.com/ldW1vaPcqK

— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) August 25, 2026

The second appearance against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday was far more eventful. After allowing an unearned run in the eighth inning, Gil allowed three consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out in the ninth. This prompted closer David Bednar to begin warming up despite the Yankees' seven-run cushion, but Gil was able to escape the jam without any runs scoring to seal the victory.

Although Gil's velocity was up in that outing, being able to reach as high as 98 mph with his fastball, his struggles with location and a put-away pitch resulted in him creating that initial mess. He also got away with a pitch that was right down the middle but resulted in a harmless flyout as part of his escape act. Had Gil faced a team better than the Rockies (which is a vast majority of teams), he probably isn't able to finish the inning unscathed.

Luis Gil recovered nicely and got the next three batters to end the game! https://t.co/m6RqBETBVO pic.twitter.com/UAXJdjNLoQ

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 11, 2026

At the very least, it's encouraging that Gil has the velocity to help make up for missed locations. But if control is going to remain a problem, his chances of climbing the bullpen trust tree are limited.

An up-Gil battle up the trust tree

Ironically, what would normally be an advantage for Gil in the future is working against him in the present. Gil is under team control until the 2028 season ends; compare that to waiver claims Michael Fulmer and John Schreiber, and even Schmidt, who hits free agency after the 2027 season.

So if Gil isn't able to resemble his 2024 form in any near-future appearances, it's much easier for the Yankees to keep him in the minor leagues than to part ways with their waiver claims. Schreiber in particular is a highly effective weapon against righties, while Fulmer's stuff has looked a bit more impressive this year than Gil's despite also having command issues.

If Gil is called upon to pitch any time before Schmidt is activated, he really needs to show that he can pitch stress-free innings, regardless if it's in high or low-leverage (far more likely to be the latter). Otherwise, the Yankees can't afford to develop the once-dominant righty into a trusted reliever this late in the season.

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