The New York Yankees were undoubtedly caught in a fix just weeks leading into the 2024 MLB season opening day in the aftermath of ace Gerrit Cole’s injury. Cole picked up a nerve inflammation injury in his pitching elbow and was ruled out for a minimum of 10-12 weeks.

Moreover, with time running out to secure outside reinforcements, New York Yankees settled with promotion of top pitching prospect Luis Gil into the fifth starter’s role. However, to the team’s much surprise, Gil exceeded all expectations to become a seasoned starter, thus impressing a former Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. 

Pedro Martinez Wants Yankees To Trust Luis Gil For A Long Haul

The New York Yankees have a rising star in their midst in the form of starting pitcher Luis Gil. The minor leaguer was promoted to the Yanks’ active five-man rotation at the last minute following the injury of Gerrit Cole. But he has left no stone unturned in proving himself on the mound. After a shaky debut, Gil went on to pitch back-to-back strong starts, which lowered his ERA to 2.92. And now as the season progresses, Gil is improving and becoming a better version of himself each day. That being said, with Cole’s return on the cards ahead of the All-Star break, former Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez has advised the Yanks to stay patient with Luis Gil.

Pedro Martinez referred to Luis Gil as a special talent who is still raw. However, Pedro loves Gil’s work on the mound and opines that the kid has an opportunity to produce something special in the future. However, that can only happen if the New York Yankees remain patient with the pitcher and allow him to groom and mature at his own pace. “I hope they continue to let him pitch in the starting rotation and not have him wander around,” said Martinez. Interestingly, Gil’s rotation spot remains under imminent threat, with Gerrit Cole nearing his recovery from the elbow nerve inflammation injury. The battle for the fifth starter’s role following Cole’s return would come down to Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil and the latter could miss out due to lack of major league experience compared to the former.

Gerrit Cole’s Imminent Return On Cards?

New York Yankees ace and reigning AL CY Young pitcher Gerrit Cole’s initial return timeline will expire on May 27. However, it’s strongly believed that Cole will end up skipping the timeline due to lack of spring training build up. Notably, the pitcher hit a couple of bullpen sessions this week for the first time since injury and reported no setback.

Furthermore, Gerrit Cole is expected to accompany the Yankees roster on their upcoming road trip to Tampa, where he will further take reps at the club’s training facility. Overall, the Bronx Bombers are eyeing a mid-June return for Gerrit Cole, which would be ideal given the severity of his elbow injury and lack of proper training.

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