Luis Gil's Yankees rotation case headlines spring training takeaways from Saturday's 10-9 win over Blue Jays
Should the Yankees break spring training with Luis Gil in the starting rotation? The 25-year-old RHP's case for the fifth spot continued at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., highlighting a handful of key takeaways from New York's 10-9 win over the Toronto Blue Jays,
Four things to know from Saturday's game
1. If Gil did not have your attention, you should tune in now. Gil struck out four and walked one while allowing just one hit in 3.1 scoreless IP, sharpening the totals on his strong spring.
Through four Grapefruit League games, including two starts, he has a 2.31 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. His stuff is undeniable, and the numbers -- 18 strikeouts to four walks -- underline that.
With an opening due to ace RHP Gerrit Cole's injury, the Yankees should give Gil a long look -- whether or not they sign someone like LHP Blake Snell. Gil's flashes of his impressive 2021 MLB debut, when he fanned 38 in 29.1 IP before his May 2022 Tommy John surgery, are evident.
2. Perhaps the second-biggest takeaway came from what did not happen on the diamond. Aaron Judge remains sidelined, but Aaron Boone's midgame update. pumped the brakes on a worst-case scenario or reason for pessimism.
"He hit again today," Boone told YES Network. "Little more extensive. Tee and toss yesterday, tee and toss and short tee today, so we'll see. He's responding great the whole way. I've been bad at predicting this, obviously.
"So, again, I don't -- it's not anything that's going to cost him his season or anything or cost him the start of the season. I think he's going to have plenty of runway. I think it's just a matter of what's the day that we start building him up. But I really don't expect it to be an issue."
3. In the lineup, Judge's bash bro, Giancarlo Stanton, delivered a much-needed jot for himself with his first home run of the spring. With a 1-0 count and two out, Stanton pulled Paolo Espino's 89 mph offering 425 feet into the left-center concourse at 116 mph for a two-run homer that brought Anthony Volpe around the bases from first.
The vintage blast by the cleanup-hitting Stanton in the third inning is a welcome sign for the Yankees as he ups his numbers to seven knocks over 28 at-bats. Stanton's 2-for-4 day included a two-out single in the sixth.
4. Speaking of Volpe, who was third in the order behind second-batting DH Juan Soto, the second-year SS had a day. Volpe's 4-for-4 afternoon included a two-out single to right field that set the table for Stanton's homer, which put the Yankees in command of a 3-0 lead through three innings.
Volpe, who has 14 hits in 38 at-bats this spring, has a .368 batting average and .415 on-base percentage.
Highlights
What's next
The Yankees head to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday to take on the Red Sox.
New York RHP Will Warren (2-0, 3.52 ERA) is the probable starter for the 1:05 p.m. matinee. Boston has RHP Tanner Houck (1-0, 1.59 ERA) in line.
