Luis Gil landed on the 15-day IL Wednesday with a lower back sprain, but the Yankees are optimistic the right-hander won’t be out long. 

But his injury did raise the question about how he would be used down the stretch and into the playoffs, since Gil has already thrown 124 ²/₃ innings, his most as a pro. 

Even with the Yankees hoping to get Clarke Schmidt back next month — with the right-hander scheduled to make his first minor league rehab start Friday since being sidelined since late May with a right lat strain — Aaron Boone indicated before Wednesday’s 8-1 win over the Guardians in The Bronx that Gil would remain a starter when he returns, which Boone said he hoped would be as soon as Gil is eligible.

There has been thought the Yankees might bump Gil into the bullpen to not only help the pen, but to prevent Gil from being overworked. 

That still hasn’t been ruled out, but Boone said the team continues to look at Gil as a starter. 

When asked of Gil’s role when he returns, Boone said, “Probably a starter.” 

He also noted moving Gil to a different role isn’t necessarily as easy as some might think. 

“The biggest question with Luis all year was not having a base of workload,’’ Boone said of Gil, who was coming back from Tommy John surgery. “He’s had a really strong year in the rotation and it’s not as simple as throwing him in the pen.” 

A healthy Schmidt would also likely factor into the equation, as Boone said his role is still to be defined. 

“I think everything is on the table,’’ Boone said of the rotation down the stretch of the regular season. 

Schmidt is expected to throw around 45 pitches during his first rehab start and while Boone wouldn’t guarantee he’d be inserted immediately back in the rotation, it would be something of a surprise if he wasn’t. 

“Clarke is building up,” Boone said. “Before he went down he was one of, if not our best, starters the first few months of the season. We look at it as we’re getting a very good pitcher back in the mix.” 

As Boone also noted, it’s premature to look too far ahead about how their staff might look in the playoffs at this point, but they have a lot invested in the rotation, including Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman, as well as Nestor Cortes, who started Wednesday and was at the center of trade talks prior to the deadline. 

Gil and Schmidt have, at times, been as effective as any pitchers in the rotation. 

Schmidt, though, has pitched just 2 ¹/₃ innings in the playoffs and Gil has never played in the postseason.

For now, their focus is on getting back on the mound, as the Yankees look to outlast the Orioles and win the AL East and having Schmidt and Gil will help that cause. 

But it likely won’t be long before the Yankees have to figure out how best to put together their rotation.