Luis Gil has resumed throwing.
The Yankees right-hander began his throwing program on Sunday, a day before manager Aaron Boone had expected him to.
Gil, who is working back from a high-grade lat strain, played catch at Yankee Stadium before Sunday’s doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays in what Boone described as an “important step.”
“I feel like it’s gone well throughout my little check-ins with him,” Boone said. “I feel like he feels like it’s been going well. So hopefully that continues.”
Gil was diagnosed with the right lat strain in early March and was shut down from throwing for at least six weeks.
The Yankees had hoped Gil would start his throwing program earlier this month, but on April 16, Boone said that plan was being delayed by about 10 days after an MRI showed insufficient healing to that point.
Sunday marked nearly eight weeks since Gil’s initial shutdown. Gil, 26, is not expected to rejoin the Yankees’ rotation until at least June.
Gil won American League Rookie of the Year last season after he went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings.
The hard-throwing Gil was one of three Yankees starters to begin this season on the injured list.
Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending elbow surgery last month, while Clarke Schmidt recently returned from the right rotator cuff tendinitis that delayed his 2025 debut by about three weeks.
Marcus Stroman has since landed on the IL with left knee inflammation after going 0-1 with a 11.57 ERA in three starts.
The rash of injuries opened rotation spots for rookie Will Warren, who is 1-0 with a 4.79 ERA in five starts, and veteran Carlos Carrasco, who is 2-1 with a 5.26 ERA over six appearances, including five starts.
DJ ON TRACK
DJ LeMahieu was in the lineup for Double-A Somerset again on Sunday, marking the first time in his rehab assignment for a left calf strain that he’s played on back-to-back days.
Sunday marked LeMahieu’s fourth rehab game, all of which he’s played at second base.
LeMahieu, 36, entered Sunday with five hits — including a home run — and three RBI in eight at-bats with Somerset. He had yet to play a full game.
Boone expects LeMahieu to continue to his rehab assignment this week at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he is set to take on “more volume” and to start playing some third base.
“With this week being four, five and six innings, we want to just give him the best runway and to bounce it back,” Boone said Sunday, “and just keeping him in a really good spot.”
LeMahieu opened the season on the 10-day injured list and began his rehab assignment on Tuesday.
A two-time batting champion, LeMahieu hit just .204 with two home runs last season as foot and hip injuries limited him to 201 at-bats.
HIGH MARKS FOR LO
All went “well” for Jonathan Loáisiga in his first rehab outing since undergoing elbow surgery in April of 2024, Boone said.
The right-handed reliever pitched a 1-2-3 inning and recorded a strikeout on 10 pitches with Single-A Tampa on Saturday.
“I know how well he’s looked, really since I’ve had eyes on him the last couple months through his bullpens and lives and stuff,” Boone said. “It seems like yesterday was another good step.”
27th HEAVEN
The Yankees called up Yerry De Los Santos to be their 27th man for Sunday’s doubleheader.
The right-handed reliever is 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA and nine strikeouts over 8.1 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
“He almost made our team out of spring,” Boone said. “There was a real decision there at the very end, so it could have been him that came with us. He’s done well down there.”
De Los Santos made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022 and entered Sunday with a 4.14 ERA over 48 MLB appearances.
He signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees before the 2024 season and did not appear in the majors last year.
