Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Gil will open the year as the team's fifth starter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
A slot in the rotation became available when it was announced that Gerrit Cole (elbow) would miss extended time at the start of the campaign, and Gil was among a group of hurlers competing for the role in spring training. The right-hander posted an excellent 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings and drew positive comments from rival scouts, so his spot in the Opening Day rotation is well-deserved. Gil has made seven big-league appearances (all starts) in his career, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 43:21 K:BB across 33.1 frames. He should get several turns in the rotation to try to establish himself since Cole is not expected to be able to return until late May or early June at the earliest.