The Yankees placed Cole (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Cole will miss all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so the Yankees will stash him away on the 60-day IL to free up a roster spot for Carlos Carrasco, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Cole's (elbow) season-ending Tommy John surgery included internal bracing, which could speed up his recovery time, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cole underwent the operation Tuesday and is still certain to miss the entire 2025 season. However, the internal bracing procedure could allow him to return closer to the short end of the 12-to-18-month recovery timeline typically given to Tommy John patients. The Yankees still haven't announced how they plan to replace Cole and Luis Gil (lat) in their Opening Day rotation, though Marcus Stroman and Will Warren are the likely candidates to make the cut if no outside help is brought in.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Set for Tommy John surgery Tuesday
Rotowire
Cole will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.
Cole sought a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday and it was during that meeting that it was confirmed Tommy John surgery would be required. The operation will knock Cole out for the entirety of the 2025 campaign, and it's possible he'll get a late start in 2026, as well. Cole, 34, has four years and $144 million remaining on his contract. With Cole out for the season and Luis Gil (lat) out indefinitely, the Yankees appear tentatively slated to open with both Marcus Stroman and Will Warren in their rotation. An addition from outside the organization is also possible.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Cole (elbow) will be examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported Sunday that it's been recommended to Cole that he undergo Tommy John surgery but that the pitcher would seek a second opinion, and it appears that opinion will come from Dr. ElAttrache. More clarity on Cole's situation could be available later Monday.
Cole (elbow) was recommended to have Tommy John surgery, but he will receive a second opinion during the upcoming week before deciding on a treatment plan, a source tells Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
If the second opinion confirms the original diagnosis, Cole is expected to go under the knife for Tommy John surgery, which would bring an end to his 2025 season before it even began. The right-hander originally reported that he was struggling with his command in his most recent spring outing Thursday, which started him down the path of getting imaging on his elbow. If Cole does in fact require the season-ending procedure, it would be another big hit to a Yankees rotation that will already be without Luis Gil (lat) for at least the first three months of the season.
Cole said Saturday morning that he is "concerned" about what the imaging on his right elbow will show, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cole said his elbow pain is the same as last year, and according to Randy Miller of NJ.com, "you could tell in [Cole's] voice, not just his words, that he is very worried." The right-hander is already talking about second opinions, which is an ominous sign. Cole and the Yankees expect to know more in the coming days, and it sounds like both sides are preparing for the worst-case scenario.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Undergoing tests on elbow
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Cole is scheduled to undergo diagnostic tests on his right elbow, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Cole surrendered six earned runs on five hits over 2.2 innings during his spring outing Thursday, and he said after the game that he was struggling with command -- particularly of his fastball. The 34-year-old righty missed most of the first half of last season due to elbow trouble, and it seems like the Yankees are at least somewhat concerned those issues have resurfaced. More will be known regarding his status within the next several days.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Unfazed by rocky spring outing
Rotowire
Cole allowed six runs on five hits -- including two home runs -- over 2.2 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.
Despite the result, manager Aaron Boone described Cole's outing as "another really good step in the process," per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "I got my work in," Cole said after the game. "Not great command; I kept trying to work the fastball over and over again." Cole was pulled with two outs in the second inning but returned for the third -- allowed under spring training rules -- and totaled 54 pitches in his second appearance of the spring. While Cole's numbers were down last season following his return from an elbow injury, his track record keeps him on the SP1/SP2 border for many.
Cole pitched 3.1 innings against Toronto in a Grapefruit League game Friday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five batters.
Cole was sharp in his first appearance this spring, throwing 33 of 46 pitches for strikes. His fastball sat at 95-to-96 mph, and the veteran righty included 15 changeups in his pitch mix. Cole missed most of the first half of last season due to an elbow issue, but he's expected to be fully ready for the beginning of the regular season this year.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Spring debut coming Friday
Rotowire
Cole is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League start Friday versus the Blue Jays, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
The 34-year-old ace is in a much better spot on the health front this spring compared to last, when he struggled to bounce back from his initial throwing sessions in camp and was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow. The injury prevented him from making his 2024 debut until the second half of June, and he was limited to just 124 total innings between the regular season and playoffs, which was his lowest cumulative total since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign (91.1 innings). Though the Yankees are coming off a run to the World Series, Cole said earlier this month that he was able to begin his offseason program earlier than previous winters, so he hasn't required as much of an aggressive ramp-up period this spring. He'll likely cover 1-to-2 innings Friday and is expected to gradually build up his workload as he prepares for a likely starting assignment in the Yankees' March 27 Opening Day game against the Brewers.
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