LUIS GIL & NO QUESTION ON HIS RETURN!

So... when’s Luis Gil coming back? If it’s not yesterday, it’s not soon enough. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have been doing their best superhero impressions every fifth day, but let’s be real—there’s only so much a two-man show can do when the rest of the rotation feels like an open mic night gone wrong.

Luckily, there’s a flicker of hope on the Scranton horizon. Gil had one last test Tuesday night—and spoiler alert—it looks like he passed. He punched out seven batters in a sharp rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, showing the kind of stuff that makes you forget just how long we’ve been living in this post-Gil apocalypse.

Aaron Boone confirmed that if Gil feels fine post-outing, the plan is to have him make his glorious return on Sunday against the lowly Miami Marlins. That’s right—Luis Gil, finally back in Yankee pinstripes, after what felt like a century-long absence thanks to that high-grade lat strain he picked up in spring training. Remember spring training? Neither do we.

If the Yankees do indeed unleash Gil on Sunday, it would conveniently give Max Fried an extra day of rest before his next start against the Rangers on Monday. That’s a strategic win for the rotation and, more importantly, our collective sanity.

Let’s not forget the last time Gil was on a major-league mound, he was finishing off a legit Rookie of the Year campaign. He posted a 3.50 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and racked up 171 strikeouts in 29 starts. That’s not just solid—that’s “can-someone-put-this-guy-in-bubble-wrap” valuable.

Bottom line: a healthy, nasty, strikeout-happy Luis Gil is exactly what this pitching staff needs right now. Bring him back. Give Fried a breather. Let Rodón breathe through both nostrils again. And maybe, just maybe, we can stop pretending bullpen games are a sustainable plan.

Sunday can’t come fast enough.