BT & Sal: Is it time to worry about Luis Gil after clunker against Orioles?

Luis Gil had his worst start of the season in Thursday’s series finale against the Orioles, allowing seven runs on eight hits in just 1.1 innings of work after looking like a potential All-Star Game starter a week ago.

The electric right entered June with a 1.99 ERA, but he has allowed 17 hits in his last 12 innings of work, grinding through a start at Fenway where he surrendered four walks and four hits in five innings of work after allowing three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings against the Dodgers. As Gil looks less dominant than the first two months of the season, BT and Sal wonder if the Yankees best starter this season so far is losing some juice.

“This is the one guy who beat the Orioles earlier in the year,” Sal said. “When we project forward, if I’m gonna make the case that the Yankees are gonna beat Baltimore in a five or seven-game series in the postseason, it’s gonna start with Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil one and two in the rotation.

“If Gil is gonna start to become human or peter out a bit, that compromises what I think the Yankees’ greatest strength over the Orioles would be.”

It still remains a question whether or not Gil will be moved to the bullpen or skip some starts to limit his workload in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, but despite the question marks and downtick in efficiency of late, BT believes Gil will ultimately be fine.

“Even aside form yesterday, the last couple times out, he’s been a little less in command and putting guys away, getting deeper in the count,” BT said. “But I’m not really worried about him.”