The New York Yankees are coasting at the top of the American League East with a comfortable seven-game lead. Although it is early, the club needs to maintain its ground throughout the upcoming months. Two pitchers that need to get hot and stay hot, respectively, are Luis Gil and Will Warren.

It is astonishing how the conversation surrounding this Yankees team has shifted from negative to positive. The team suffered heavy losses to injuries early on, some minor and some major.

Giancarlo Stanton has taken a long-term seat on the injured list, while Gerrit Cole has taken a permanent leave for 2025. Another one that hurt a lot was Luis Gil. He suffered a latissimus dorsi, or “lat” injury in spring training, and is sidelined until approximately June.

This was a huge blow for the rotation, as now two of their most elite arms were not playable. This by no means disarmed the Yankees and had no effect on the abilities of the players who stepped up.

The efforts by the fill-ins have come a long way and have set the tone for the Yankees. Gil will be returning soon to a pennant-chasing Yankees club, and the team will expect Warren to continue to be dominant and dependable.

Will Warren Has Been Gold for the Bronx Bombers 

Warren went from being a top-ranked prospect to a go-to option for the big league club. He’s been occupying the spot of Gil in the rotation and has been very effective in the role.

One month ago, Warren had put Yankees fans in panic mode with a poor outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander was chased after 1 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run on four hits.

This does not seem alarming from a numerical standpoint, but from a visual performance standpoint, it did not generate confidence. Fast-forward one month, and the tables have turned.

Warren pitched a short four innings on May 25th against the Colorado Rockies in a short start. He was dominant, only allowing two runs on two hits, with two walks, and seven strikeouts. He threw 38 strikes of 57 pitches.

So far this season, Warren holds a 4.09 ERA in 50 2/3 innings pitched, 67 strikeouts, 20 walks, and a 3-2 record. Fastball command is a huge deal for Warren, as this was an early struggle.

His fastball amounts to 35.2% of his pitch usage and has the second-highest put-away percentage. His second most used pitch is the sweeper, followed by the sinker, which is his out-pitch. The sinker has a 33.3% put-away rate and a 27.7-inch downward drop.

Warren also includes a changeup and curveball in the mix. He can get groundouts and flyouts, and is a strikeout pitcher. He will likely remain in the rotation when Gil returns. Cole is still absent and this will keep the rotation at five pitchers. Warren will need to continue his effectiveness, both to stay in the rotation and help the team.

Gil Set to Return in the Coming Month, and Expectations are High

The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year is expected to be back within 1-2 months. Gil, who had a dominant (technically) rookie season, will return to the Yankees rotation after being sidelined to start 2025.

The Yankees starter was projected to have a huge season while being a part of a stellar rotation.  His absence has stunted his workload, on-ramp, and overall success. Gil will likely be back on a major league mound by early to mid-July.

Luis Gil should pitch off the mound for the first time on Friday via @GJoyce9 pic.twitter.com/wK2XLzIW2f

https://twitter.com/YankeesPod/status/1927149947750699379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1927149947750699379%7Ctwgr%5E718d509e6141270e6e3e7101baec58e64974c3f8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flastwordonsports.com%2Fbaseball%2F2025%2F05%2F29%2Fyankees-rely-will-warren-luis-gil-rotation%2F

The best assumption is that he’s back either before or just after All-Star weekend. Gil’s on-ramp will need to be delicate to prevent the risk of re-injury and to prepare for a tough workload. His return, and hopefully dominance, is much anticipated. Gil is needed to provide quality innings and shutdown outings.

The Yankees are running away with the American League East right now, and they would love to keep that momentum going. They will need the help of Will Warren and Luis Gil to do so.