New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will be sidelined for at least one to two months due to an elbow injury, as first reported by the New York Post on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old right-hander will visit noted surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles to take a closer look at his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
Per the Post, it is not a tear in his elbow but “there’s enough concern about the ligament that ElAttrache has suggested an in-person visit.”
This immediately increases the likelihood of surgery, though such a course of action will not be known until Cole completes his visit with ElAttrache. However, the timetable for a potential return has obviously been extended significantly.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that it was unlikely for Cole to be available for Opening Day even if his testing came back clean.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner complained about his arm’s recovery — specifically the elbow — between his short spring training starts. He underwent an MRI on Monday and further testing on Tuesday.
Even without surgery, a best-case scenario appears to be a return by May or early June, per the Post. Surgery would obviously put his 2024 season very much in jeopardy.
His long-term loss would likely force general manager Brian Cashman to find an external option to bolster the Yankees’ pitching staff. With Juan Soto under team control for just this season, a deep postseason run will be imperative to help incentivize the star 25-year-old to stay in the Bronx.
The pitching staff as currently constructed with Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, and Clarke Schmidt, doesn’t provide that sort of confidence.
The Yankees have re-engaged in trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Dylan Cease while southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remain prominent options on the free-agent market.
