New York Yankees head coach Aaron Boone announced Monday that Luis Gil, the American League Rookie of the Year, has been diagnosed with a severe right latissimus dorsi strain and will be out of pitching for at least six weeks, putting the team's starting rotation depth to the test.

Hill underwent an MRI on Saturday, after finishing early after practicing about five balls in the cowshed the day before. Given the severity of the injury and recovery period, the right-hand shooter could return to Major League pitcher Hill as soon as June. "It's never a good thing to hear this kind of news," said Hill through translation Marlon Abreu, "and it's a difficult time to digest and you have to start thinking about how to move forward." "

Hill said he would seek advice from teammate Clarke Schmidt, who suffered a similar injury last year and was out for four months. Schmidt noted: "It's the key muscle of pitching, and there's no escaping it. Its presence will be felt with every pitch. "

In the short term, Marcus Stroman is expected to enter the opening five, joining Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. Boone mentioned Carlos Carrasco, Will Warren and Allan Winans as the candidates for the rotation, who are not invited to spring training.

In the 2024 season, Hill started 151.2 games in 29 games and handed over 15 wins, 7 losses, a ERA of 3.50 and 171 strikeouts, beating the Orioles' Colton Cowser to become the first Yankee pitcher to win the award since Dave Righetti in 1981.

The latissimus dorsi strain is a new obstacle to the career of the 26-year-old Hill, who missed most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. "The desire to keep racing at the end of the season is really hard to accept," Hill admits.