Gerrit Cole to Miss at Least a Month with Elbow Injury

By Nate Miller

March 13, 2024

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will miss at least one month of the regular season with an elbow injury. This development was first reported by MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. Several Yankees doctors have viewed Cole’s preliminary film. While a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament hasn’t been detected, there’s enough concern about the ligament that an in-person visit with noted sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache has been scheduled in Los Angeles.

Mid Season Return

Gerrit Cole had more testing performed on Tuesday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that the team no longer expects him to start on Opening Day. That will snap a string of four consecutive Opening Day starts for Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season. The defending AL Cy Young Award winner will be out for an “extended period,” although for now, the hope and belief is that Cole has a chance to return sometime in May or early June. Cole’s initial readings earlier in the week were optimistic. The belief is that the issue could be resolved with rest and other conservative treatments, but Dr. ElAttrache has recommended more testing, raising the level of concern.

“Right now, there’s uncertainty about what’s going on in there,” Boone said on Tuesday. “We’re waiting on everyone to weigh in. Sometimes the first look isn’t [conclusive]. You want to make sure when you’re talking about the elbow. You want to make sure you get it right and make the best decision. We’ve just got to be patient.”

Limited to One Spring Start

Cole made one start in the 2024 Grapefruit League. That start came on March 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He opted to pitch under simulated conditions on the afternoon of March 7 rather than face the Detroit Tigers in an evening contest. The news of Cole’s injury is already having an impact on the rest of the Yankees roster. “I feel like this is something that he’s trying to get ahead of,” said Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes. “Obviously it’s alarming for everybody. I know he’s been dealing with some stuff, as is every pitcher in Spring Training. I didn’t know how serious it was until now.” With Cole unavailable, Marcus Stroman or Carlos Rodón could start the Yankees’ season opener on March 28 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.