The American League Wild Card series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox begins in a matter of hours, and both teams were required to submit their rosters for the series this afternoon. Some big Yankee names were left off.
Having struck out 16 times in 25 at-bats since his midseason acquisition from the Baltimore Orioles, Austin Slater was left off of the list of position players, in favor of keeping J.C. Escarra as a third catcher, which in turn frees up options for how best to use Ben Rice. On the pitching side, although they are not likely to be used for high-leverage innings, Paul Blackburn and Will Warren were kept on as bullpen arms, at the expense of Ryan Yarbrough, whose solid first half performance as a swingman is nevertheless best suited for an innings-eating role that the short nature of the three-game series will not create.
Precisely because the series is only three games long, however, only three starters are required. And so despite starting 40 games for the team over the past two seasons, pitching to a 118 ERA+, right-hander Luis Gil has been left off of the roster.
No Vacancies
Gil, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, has only been able to appear in 11 games in 2025, spending the first few months of the season on the injured list due to a lat strain. He has not had the best year as a result, leaving open the door for others to move past him in the hierarchy.
The Yankees are going with Max Fried to open the series, record-setting Carlos Rodon as their #2, and star rookie Cam Schlittler in Game Three if required, with no other starters required. Warren, the fifth starter come the end of the regular season, has a modicum of experience coming out of the bullpen that Gil (who has only made three appearances in relief since 2015) does not have, and is also better rested. He takes the extra reliever spot for that reason.
Gil, then, had no role to fill. But the decision to leave him off of the roster should not be thought of as a demotion.
Gil Nevertheless Performing As Expected
In the 11 starts he has managed, Gil has pitched well. Across them, he has recorded a 4-1 record by pitching to a 3.32 ERA, limiting hard contact and yielding only 7.4 hits per nine innings.
An argument could still be made for his inclusion given the limited impact of Blackburn. Yarbrough’s second-half struggles (a 5.97 ERA since June 1) opened the door for him to earn a shot, but with a 5.28 ERA himself, Blackburn did not exactly close the door on the competition.
Nevertheless, Gil is a starter, and the Yankees will be hoping he gets the opportunity to do that. If the Yankees win the series against the Sox and move on to the ALDS, they will need a full compliment of starters once again. Having pitched Game 162, Gil will be rested by then. It is not goodbye; it is instead, see you soon.
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