Yankees' Luis Gil Breaks Silence on Concerning Injury

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil exited his start against the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth inning Tuesday with what the team deemed lower back tightness.

Luis Gil left after an apparent injury in the 4th inning tonight, throwing 78 pitches pic.twitter.com/kh4iq3pfDk
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 21, 2024

Gil didn't look like his typical self throughout the outing. The six walks he accrued through 3-plus innings Tuesday are the second-most free passes he has conceded in a single game all season. Back on April 15, Gil walked seven Toronto Blue Jays' hitters in five innings of work.

After Gil gave up a home run to start the fourth inning, he walked the next hitter and then started pitching to Guardians' slugger Jose Ramirez before Yankees manager Aaron Boone and the team trainer visited the mound to speak with the 26-year-old rookie. After a brief discussion, Gil exited the contest.

Gil spoke out about his injury postgame.

"I tried to work through it but you don’t want to force the issue and make it worse," Gil said through an interpreter, per SNY. "I saw the doctor here and told me to take it day-by-day and we’ll see."

When Gil was asked whether he was concerned about the injury, he said, "I’ve never felt anything like that. And yeah I’m a little worried because you’re coming out of the game because something’s not right.

"But at the same time, you have to take it day by day and see how I feel tomorrow," he added.

The Yankees announced that Gil's back will be reassessed on Wednesday, but there hasn't been any additional news about the extent of his injury. There are also no current plans to give him imaging.

What's for sure is that Gil has been integral to New York's success this season. He emerged as the team's top pitcher while reigning AL Cy Young Gerrit Cole was sidelined earlier in the year, and has amassed a 12-6 record with a 3.39 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 124.2 innings pitched this season.

Given the ongoing struggles of Yankees' starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes, losing Gil for an extended period would be a major blow for New York.