New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is reportedly dealing with an elbow issue in spring training.
The Yankees’ ace on Thursday pitched in an 8-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla, in what was his second outing of the spring. He gave up six earned runs in the start across just 2.2 innings of work.
On Friday, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that Cole is “undergoing diagnostic tests on his throwing elbow.” Cole’s injury status is expected to be clearer “within the next couple of days.”
Cole similarly dealt with an elbow issue during spring training in 2024. He was later diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow, which Cole blamed on getting “a little too hot a little too quick” in his spring training appearances last year. While Cole was able to avoid surgery last season, the recovery kept him on the injury list for New York’s first 75 games of the 2024 campaign.
In November, Cole initially exercised the Year 5 opt-out in his 9-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees he signed before the 2020 season. But then two sides were eventually able to agree to continue with the deal as currently constructed. Cole is still owed $144 million over the next four seasons.
Despite missing half of last season, Cole still had himself a solid 2024 atop the Yankees’ rotation. He finished with an ERA of 3.41 and a 1.13 WHIP across 17 starts.
