{"id":9431,"date":"2024-03-13T11:49:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T18:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=9431"},"modified":"2024-03-13T12:32:04","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T19:32:04","slug":"gerrit-cole-to-miss-at-least-a-month-with-elbow-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2024\/03\/13\/gerrit-cole-to-miss-at-least-a-month-with-elbow-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Gerrit Cole to Miss at Least a Month with Elbow Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York Yankees<\/a> right-hander Gerrit Cole<\/a><\/strong> 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<\/a>. Several Yankees doctors have viewed Cole\u2019s preliminary film. While a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament hasn’t been detected, there\u2019s enough concern about the ligament that an in-person visit with noted sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache has been scheduled in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Mid Season Return<\/h4>\n

Gerrit Cole had more testing performed on Tuesday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone<\/strong><\/a> 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 \u201cextended period,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, there\u2019s uncertainty<\/a> about what\u2019s going on in there,\u201d Boone said on Tuesday. \u201cWe\u2019re waiting on everyone to weigh in. Sometimes the first look isn\u2019t [conclusive]. You want to make sure when you\u2019re talking about the elbow. You want to make sure you get it right and make the best decision. We\u2019ve just got to be patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limited to One Spring Start<\/h4>\n

Cole made one start in the 2024 Grapefruit League. That start came on March 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>. He opted to pitch under simulated conditions on the afternoon of March 7 rather than face the Detroit Tigers<\/a> in an evening contest. The news of Cole’s injury is already having an impact on the rest of the Yankees roster. \u201cI feel like this is something that he\u2019s trying to get ahead of,\u201d said Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cObviously it\u2019s alarming for everybody. I know he\u2019s been dealing with some stuff, as is every pitcher in Spring Training. I didn\u2019t know how serious it was until now.\u201d With Cole unavailable, Marcus Stroman<\/strong><\/a> or Carlos Rod\u00f3n<\/strong><\/a> could start the Yankees\u2019 season opener on March 28 against the Houston Astros<\/a> at Minute Maid Park.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>