New York Yankees ace right-hander Gerrit Cole is undergoing diagnostic tests on his throwing elbow in a worrying turn of events for the team, MLB Network reported on Friday.
The six-time All-Star missed the first few months of last season with elbow soreness, then finished 8-5 in 17 starts with 3.41 ERA, 1.126 WHIP and 99 strikeouts over 95 innings. He made five postseason starts, going 1-0 with 2.17 ERA over 12 2/3 innings.
Cole struggled in his spring training outing on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, surrendering six runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The extent of Cole’s injury is so far unclear, but an extended absence would be a crucial blow for the Yankees, who once again have World Series aspirations.
Meanwhile, fellow pitcher Luis Gil will be sidelined for at least three months because of his lat strain and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has also been sent back to New York for more testing.
Infielder DJ LeMahieu told reporters Thursday he has a grade 1 or 2 left calf strain and will be sidelined for several weeks in his fifth straight injury-hampered season.
Gerrit Cole is undergoing tests on his throwing elbow after suffering yet another injury
Giancarlo Stanton is also struggling as the 2025 baseball season fast approaches
Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, cut short a bullpen session last Friday because of tightness in his pitching shoulder and the 26-year-old right-hander went to New York for a second MRI that revealed a high-grade lat strain.
‘As long as we handle it right, we’ll get him back sometime in the summer,’ Cashman said. ‘But he’s going to be down for a long time, obviously.
‘Being a starter, he’s got six weeks minimum of no throw and obviously it could be longer if it takes longer. They’ll reimage and re-MRI it and see where he’s at during that rest period. So, is it six, is it going to be seven weeks, is it eight weeks, whatever, and then we’ll get him going, and then he’s got to go through flat-ground throwing program and obviously bullpens and then rehab games, so you’re talking three months.’
Gil was 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts last year, striking out 171 and walking a major league-high 77 in 151 2/3 innings. Marcus Stroman likely will replace him in a starting rotation that includes Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has a growing list of injury worries on his roster
Stanton said on February 17 after reporting to camp that he had not swung a bat in three or four weeks because of elbow pain. The Yankees said he has been in New York, where he received a second round of platelet-rich plasma injections in both of his elbows.
Cashman said he expected Stanton to return to Tampa by the weekend.
‘We’ll clearly look forward to getting him back at some point but obviously in the near term that won’t be the case,’ Cashman said.
Surgery is not yet being contemplated for the 35-year-old designated hitter, a five-time All-Star.