Luis Gil ready for his season debut with the Yankees this Sunday in Miami

Miami,. — With a smile and the illusion intact, Dominican Luis Gil prepares to return to the Major League mound this Sunday, when he will start for the New York Yankees against the Marlins at loanDepot park.

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It will be the first game of the right in the season, almost a year after having won the American League Rookie of the Year Award, a distinction that a Yankees pitcher had not achieved since Dave Righetti in 1981. Gil hasn’t pitched in MLB since February 28, when he cut short a bullpen session after just five pitches due to a high-grade strain in his right latissimus dorsi. What initially seemed like a six-week absence ended up extending for several months. The right-hander resumed facing hitters in late June and made four rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues, the last one last Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, in which he threw 75 pitches against Nashville. “The rehabilitation process has been smooth, without setbacks,” assured manager Aaron Boone. “He’s practically ready to work with a full pitch count. I think he’s ready for this.” Last season, Gil had a 15-7 record with an ERA of 3.50 in 29 starts, as well as two postseason appearances, including one in the World Series against the Dodgers. With his return, the Yankees regain a key piece of their rotation in the midst of a fight for a postseason spot.