Aaron Boone: IL-bound Chad Green has ‘significant injury’

The Yankees are now without a key piece of their bullpen, and could be for a while.

The club placed Chad Green on the 15-day injured list Saturday with what it called a “right elbow strain.” While Green was still gathering more opinions from doctors as of Saturday morning, manager Aaron Boone said surgery was on the table.

“It looks like a significant injury,” Boone said before the Yankees beat the White Sox, 7-5, in The Bronx.

Green, who exited the game Thursday in Baltimore with forearm discomfort, is in the final year of his contract with the Yankees. The 30-year-old has posted a 2.96 ERA over 260 games since joining the Yankees’ bullpen full-time in 2017.

“He’s on that very short list of outstanding relievers in our sport,” Boone said. “He’s been so consistent. He’s such a rock for us. He’s just a consistent pitcher, person, so reliable and an important part of our team and that room. So it’s definitely tough.”

Boone added that Green, one of the Yankees’ top high-leverage relievers, was handling the injury as well as could be expected.

“It was pretty emotional for me, honestly,” Boone said. “A lot that’s right about our sport is Chad Green, just in the way he prepares, how he takes care of himself, the professional that he is, the respect he carries in that room, the track record of consistent success. So it’s difficult.”

Ron Marinaccio was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Green’s spot on the roster.

Luis Gil will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, Boone confirmed, which will end the right-hander’s season and keep him out for at least a good chunk of 2023. Team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad will perform the surgery.

The 23-year-old Gil, who left his start Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with the elbow injury, made six starts with a 3.07 ERA last year with the Yankees. His lone MLB appearance this season came last week, when he gave up four runs over four innings in a spot start against the White Sox.

Without Gil, the Yankees will have to turn elsewhere for starting depth. Because of their doubleheader Sunday, they will need a sixth starter on Wednesday, with Boone mentioning JP Sears as a likely candidate after the left-hander tossed 4 ²/₃ innings of one-run ball Friday for SWB.

Right-handed prospect Hayden Wesneski is not on the 40-man roster, but his 2.31 ERA across eight starts at Triple-A has put him on the Yankees’ radar.

“Definitely a guy that’s pushed himself into our conversation and certainly someone we’re following and are excited about,” Boone said.

Deivi Garcia, meanwhile, showed signs of a bounce-back season in spring training but the right-hander owns a 9.90 ERA in six starts with the RailRiders.

“Deivi’s just still struggling, some inconsistencies,” Boone said.

Tim Locastro hit in the batting cage on both Friday and Saturday, continuing to make progress in his rehab from a strained lat.

The speedy outfielder went on the injured list on May 8, at which point Boone said Locastro could miss “at least a couple weeks.”

The Yankees are being careful with his comeback because making the injury worse could potentially cost him the season.

“Encouraged with the progress he’s making, really since the injury,” Boone said.