New York Yankees ace and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is getting an MRI on his pitching elbow in a sudden and massive injury scare for the Bronx Bombers.
Manager Aaron Boone revealed the development on Monday, stating that the 33-year-old right-hander was having problems recovering from between starts this spring — likening the fatigue to that of an outing of 100 pitches rather than the inning or two of work that he has been taking on this spring.
It cannot be understated the importance of Cole to the Yankees’ title hopes in 2024. He’s the headliner of a top-heavy rotation after going 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA with 222 strikeouts in 209 innings of work last season.
He is the steadying presence of a stable of starters that is still very much riddled with uncertainties. While they brought Marcus Stroman on as a more legitimate No. 2 option, Carlos Rodon continues to struggle off a nightmare and injury-riddled debut season in the Bronx last year.
Nestor Cortes also battled injuries throughout 2023, which provided a significant regression from the All-Star campaign he put together two years ago.
If Cole is forced to miss a significant amount of time, it could force owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman to go outside the organization to bolster the rotation.
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is still a headlining option, but such a move would incur a 110% tax penalty, which would realistically double the amount of money that would be allotted for the former Tampa Bay Ray and San Diego Padre.
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