Yankees ready to deploy their Luis Gil advantage in Game 4

CLEVELAND — Luis Gil spent most of the season as one of the top right-handed starters in the majors.

He’s spent nearly the past three weeks as a spectator , with his last appearance coming Sept. 28.

Gil will return to action Friday to start Game 4 of the ALCS against the Guardians.

“Your delivery and emotions after layoff like that is always a concern,’’ pitching coach Matt Blake said before Thursday’s 7-5, 10-inning loss in an epic Game 3 at Progressive Field. “Now, you’re going into a spot like that, pitching in your first playoff game, it’s a lot. We feel like he’s in a good state of mind.’’

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Gil threw a four-inning simulated game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday to line him up with Friday’s outing.

Blake said the right-hander was “sharp” in that 65-pitch session, but there’s still the uncertainty of dealing with a hostile playoff environment.

Gerrit Cole said he’s checked in with Gil throughout his rookie season, but didn’t want to overload the 26-year-old with information, especially because he pitched well for most of the year.

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The Yankee ace discussed the long layoff between outings and Blake said he believed Gil had a good mindset about not pitching in the ALDS.

“I think he understood the dynamic of it being a shorter series and being in the bullpen instead of the rotation,’’ Blake said. “We wanted him to focus on his current role and going forward, pointing to a start like [Friday’s].”

Gil said through an interpreter Thursday he was “proud of the season I was able to put together.”

It’s certainly a better season — a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA — than that of Cleveland’s Friday starter, Gavin Williams (3-10, 4.86 ERA), or their Game 1 starter, Alex Cobb, or Matt Boyd in Game 3.

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So once again, the Yankees will have a decided advantage when it comes to the most important aspect of the game, with Gil in reserve and a bullpen game not on the horizon.

As they try to win their first World Series title since 2009, Aaron Boone talked about that starting pitching depth that has been largely absent, even among the remaining teams in the playoffs.

“I think, right now — with the teams left — it is probably something that differentiates us a little bit,’’ Boone said of his starting pitching. “Because I feel like we’re going to roll out four really good starters at you that have a chance to get us deeper into a game and hopefully set our pen up to be used even better.”

He also mentioned still having Marcus Stroman on the roster , who had a poor second half but is on the ALCS roster.

“Part of it is we’ve been able to remain fairly healthy from a starting rotation, which I think is one of the reasons we were able to win our division and secure the best record in the American League,’’ Boone said. “It starts with those guys and them being able to go to the post as consistently as they did this year. … I like where all those guys are and like the chance they give us every time each one of them takes the ball.”

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