While the New York Yankees still have two weeks until their season opener, the team is already dealing with an injury injury to one of their most important players.
Earlier this week, star pitcher and 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole was sent for an MRI after experiencing elbow discomfort.
On Wednesday, the New York Post reported that Cole will be out for at least a month. He’ll also be heading to Los Angeles on Thursday to meet with famed orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache.
While Cole’s MRI results reportedly don’t show any damage to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, which would require Tommy John Surgery and cost the ace his season, ElAttrache still requested an in-person visit so they could try to get to the bottom of what exactly is ailing Cole’s elbow.
Manager Aaron Boone weighed in on the situation, saying, “I understand it’s Gerrit Cole. It’s a big story, But, I’m not going to jump to a conclusion,” in response to a question about if there was any timetable for Cole.
Since signing with the Yankees in November 2019 for a franchise-record $324 million, Cole has been a workhorse for the team. He pitched a league-high 209 innings in 2023 and had a league-best 2.63 ERA to go along with 222 strikeouts.
Cole is sixth among active MLB pitchers with 2,152 career strikeouts.
