As the New York Yankees gear up for the 2024 season, the team is on edge as manager Aaron Boone announced on Monday that star pitcher Gerrit Cole would undergo an MRI on his pitching elbow.
At 33 years old, Gerrit Cole, who is coming off an AL Cy Young award-winning season, was eager to replicate his success and spearhead another remarkable season for the New York Yankees, potentially leading to a World Series run. However, with the current elbow injury situation, the Yankees are confronted with a potentially devastating setback.
Losing Gerrit Cole would be a significant blow for the Yankees. With just one appearance this spring, he pitched two innings, posting a 13.50 ERA and averaging 4.50 strikeouts per nine innings.
It was surprising that Cole wasn’t making more starts as he advanced through his throwing program, but the Yankees may be taking a cautious approach to ensure there’s no lasting harm.
Pete Caldera of USA Today reported that Gerrit Cole was experiencing difficulties in his recovery, with his pitching outings feeling more akin to regular-season starts rather than typical spring training outings. The decision to conduct an MRI could be a precautionary measure.
Should Cole need to miss any time, Carlos Rodon would likely become the team’s primary option. However, this would create a significant gap in the back end of the rotation, possibly necessitating the promotion of one of their young pitchers to fill the void.
The most promising candidate for this role appears to be Will Warren, a 24-year-old pitcher who has posted a 3.86 ERA over 4.2 innings this spring. Losing Cole to a long-term injury would be a considerable setback for the Yankees, particularly after failing to secure several top pitchers during the offseason.
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