The New York Yankees enter today’s MLB games with one of the greatest records in baseball, despite missing several key players, including starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. While the Cy Young Award winner is eligible to return off the disabled list at the end of May, New York will allegedly have to wait longer than that.
Cole, coming off one of his best seasons, had tightness in his pitching elbow during spring training. The Yankees quickly shut him down and sent him for tests, which revealed inflammation and edema in his right elbow.
Cole was sidelined for a month by doctors, dealing a significant blow to the Yankees’ rotation as the regular season begins. The injury was especially troubling given that many hard-throwing starting pitchers are suffering elbow problems that require Tommy John surgery. While New York’s ace dodged that and has been working toward a return, there is still much work to be done.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal told Fox Sports on Monday that Rosenthal isn’t close to returning from the injured list, and the Yankees pitcher is now considered ‘unlikely’ to return when he becomes eligible.
“Not really.” He’s started throwing off flat ground, and it’s expected that he’ll get off a mound sometime within the next week. Keep in mind that he won’t be able to come off the disabled list until May 27th, and he’s unlikely to be ready then. He could need a little more.
The good news for the Yankees is that their starting pitching has improved without Cole. However, it hasn’t been as prevalent recently. From April 21 to 29, the Yankees’ rotation ranked 14th in ERA (3.53) and 22nd in walk rate (9 percent).
- Gerrit Cole contract:$36 million salary in 2024. The New York Yankees can nullify the player’s opt-out in 2025 by adding a 10th year to the contract at a salary of $36 million for the 2029 season.
Cole is already 33 years old, so the Yankees will want to ease him back into play with days of recuperation in between each stage to avoid re-injury or discomfort in his elbow. Given what is at stake for New York and the risks associated with an elbow injury, Cole may not return to the mound at Yankee Stadium for several weeks in June.
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