Former AL Cy Young Award winner dealt with a nerve issue in the same elbow last season
Former AL Cy Young Award winner dealt with a nerve issue in the same elbow last season
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent an MRI on his pitching elbow after allowing six runs in his most recent start. Cole and the Yankees have received the initial results of that MRI but are seeking out second opinions. Cole told reporters that he is “concerned” about his elbow.
“I’m hoping for the best,” Cole said Saturday, according to MLB.com. “In the game there was a lot of good stuff happening the other day, but as I got home I just continued to get more and more sore. Something wasn’t right.”
Cole is expected to consult with surgeon Neal elAttrache “soon,” the New York Post reported Sunday, hours after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he is “prepared for the worst.”
The 34-year-old right-hander also dealt with elbow issues last spring — a nerve issue, specifically, that delayed his first start of the 2024 regular season until June 19. Cole last season went on to make 17 starts, and over that span he pitched to a 121 ERA+ and a 3.41 K/BB ratio — good results but hardly vintage Cole. In 2023, Cole won the AL Cy Young Award with a dominant campaign. At this point, the expectation has to be that Cole will miss time, but how much time is unknown at this juncture.
The Yankees are also dealing with the loss of Cole’s rotation-mate Luis Gil, who’s sidelined until at least late May or early June with a lat strain.
The Yankees are coming off a 2024 season in which they won both the American League East title and the pennant before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Aaron Boone’s club is angling to win the division again in 2025 despite the loss of outfielder Juan Soto to the crosstown New York Mets in free agency. They did add a frontline starter in Max Fried this offseason, but injuries are already eating away at what was once an enviable rotation in the Bronx.