The New York Yankees are looking to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2023 season, but their hopes of doing so might hinge on the precarious health of one critical player.
After struggling to recover between preseason outings, franchise ace Gerrit Cole was sidelined. The Yankees are optimistic that he will be able to recover without surgery and return to the mound in the early part of this coming season, but after speaking with sources from other teams who have seen pitchers deal with similar injuries, ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney suggested that a season-ending surgery is still likely for Cole.
“I’ve asked folks with other teams who don’t have access to Gerrit Cole’s medical information, but they’ve seen this play out, and they know about … treatments and how players are dealt with and the language of these situations,” Olney reported on the “ESPN Baseball Tonight” podcast
“And every person I’ve asked said, ‘Oh, he’s headed to Tommy John surgery.’ Like there’s no doubt in their mind, OK? And again, they haven’t looked at a medical report, but they know the trajectory of pitchers with these situations.”
Cole, who is entering the fifth year of a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees, is a famously durable pitcher. He has thrown at least 117 innings in every season of his 11-year career except for 2020, when he pitched just 73 but still led MLB in complete games.
That might be why the team is optimistic that he can recover from his elbow soreness relatively quickly.
