MLB news: Yankees’ Gerrit Cole to undergo tests on elbow after soreness: report

The New York Yankees were hit with some troubling news on Friday night as star pitcher Gerrit Cole is set to undergo diagnostic tests on his pitching elbow in the coming days, as reported by MLB Network. This development comes after Cole struggled in his spring training starts against the Minnesota Twins, where he gave up six runs in just 2.2 innings of work.

Cole expressed that his arm felt fine during the start but progressively worsened after the game. “As I got home, it continued to get more and more sore,” Cole shared with the NY Post on Saturday. “Something wasn’t right.” This isn’t the first time Cole has faced an injury scare, as he was sidelined last season during spring training due to nerve irritation in his elbow. As a result, he didn’t make his first start until June 19 and ended the season with an 8-5 record and a 3.41 ERA in 17 regular-season starts.

Despite his injury-shortened campaign last season, Cole was exceptional in the postseason, posting a 1-0 record and a 2.17 ERA across five starts in the Yankees’ run to the World Series. Cole mentioned that he had adjusted his offseason routine to minimize the risk of another injury, stating, “We came up with a plan to mitigate the risks, and I executed it. I felt the best I had in some time leading up to the last start.”

The 2023 AL Cy Young winner shared that he has an initial idea of what the injury might be but expressed concern over the alarming soreness he experienced, making it difficult to sleep. With Cole sidelined, the Yankees are also dealing with another blow as pitcher Luis Gil suffered a high-grade lat strain, expected to be out for six weeks.

Without Cole and Gil, the Yankees’ starting rotation now consists of Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman, with prospect Will Warren vying for the fifth spot in the rotation. The team will need to rely on their depth and resilience to navigate through these pitching challenges.

As the Yankees face uncertainty with their pitching staff, fans will be eagerly awaiting updates on Cole’s condition and hoping for a speedy recovery. Stay tuned for more developments on this story as it unfolds.