The New York Yankees are facing the possibility of being without ace righty Gerrit Cole through Mother’s Day.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the reigning AL Cy Young winner Cole will be out for at least one-to-two months due to the injury to his pitching elbow. Heyman adds that Cole is set for a visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
Though testing reportedly has not detected a tear in Cole’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), the renowned sports surgeon ElAttrache has recommended further tests as well as an in-person visit. For now, the belief is that Cole has a chance to return some time in May or in early June, Heyman says.
Cole, 33, is one of the most durable starters in baseball with five seasons of 200-plus innings pitched over the last six full MLB campaigns. But he has struggled with discomfort in his elbow during the spring, creating the need for testing.
With the Yankees facing a multi-month absence from Cole, it is hard to overstate the void that it creates atop their rotation. New righty addition Marcus Stroman should help, but neither he nor lefties Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes are top-of-the-line starters anymore. As a result, the Yankees appear to be targeting an ace-caliber righty on the trade market right now.
