Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Hopes to start throwing in August
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Cole (elbow) said that he plans to begin a throwing program in August, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Cole spoke to the media Monday for the first time since March, when he underwent UCL reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. The procedure included an internal brace, which he had removed two and a half weeks ago, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com. The 34-year-old will resume throwing six months post-surgery, but it's not clear if he'll be able to advance to mound work by the time the 2025 season concludes. Cole acknowledged that he doesn't yet have a target date in mind for when he might be ready to pitch next season, and a timeline for his 2026 debut may not come into focus until next spring.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Placed on 60-day IL
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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.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Set for Tommy John surgery Tuesday
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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.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Recommended for surgery
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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.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: 'Concerned' about elbow
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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.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Unfazed by rocky spring outing
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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.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Fans five in spring debut
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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
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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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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Remaining with Yankees
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Cole will remain with the Yankees on the four-year, $144 million contract he had previously opted out of, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Essentially, it's as if Cole didn't even exercise the opt-out clause in his contract. Although, it's expected the two sides will continue to negotiate a contract extension, possibly tacking a year onto the end of the pitcher's current deal. Cole posted a 3.41 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 95 innings this season following a two-month absence due to an elbow injury.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Exercises opt-out
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Cole opted out of his contract with the Yankees on Saturday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
The Yankees have the opportunity to void Cole's opt-out decision by adding an extra year and $36 million to his contract, which would result in him being owed $180 million through 2029. The 34-year-old posted a 3.41 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 95 innings this season after missing the first couple months due to an elbow injury. There is no guarantee that New York will want to keep him around for such a hefty price.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Undone by sloppy fifth inning
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Cole took a no-decision Wednesday versus the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, getting charged with five runs (zero earned) on four hits and four walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out six.
All five unearned runs came in the top of the fifth inning on two singles, a double, a walk and two errors. One of the singles was credited to Mookie Betts on what should have been an inning-ending groundout, but Cole failed to cover first base. The first Dodgers run scored on that play and four more followed before Cole finally escaped the frame. Cole settled back in after that and was in line for the win when he was pulled with one on and two out in the seventh, but the Dodgers tallied a couple runs in the eighth to go ahead for good. In five starts this postseason, Cole held a 2.17 ERA and 22:10 K:BB over 29 frames.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Named Game 1 starter
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Cole will start Friday in Game 1 of the World Series, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.
The Yankees wrapping up the ALCS in five games allowed them to set up their rotation as they wanted, and that means Cole taking the ball in Game 1. Boone added that Cole will likely be followed by Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, in that order, although he has not yet etched that into stone. Cole holds a 3.31 ERA and 12:6 K:BB over 16.1 innings in three starts this postseason.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Penciled in for Game 2
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Cole will start Game 2 of the ALCS on Tuesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
The Yankees haven't announced a starter for Game 1 just yet, but Cole getting the nod to start Game 2 likely narrows the choices down to Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt for Monday. Cole was dominant in his most recent outing, allowing just one run over seven innings en route to a win over the Royals on Thursday.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Dominates Orioles for eighth win
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Cole (8-5) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five over 6.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over the Orioles on Thursday.
Cole's last regular-season outing was one of his best, as it was one of three scoreless starts he produced this year. He threw 101 pitches (64 strikes), seeing a much higher workload than opposing starter Corbin Burnes (69 pitches). Cole will also get more time to recover, as this win secured the AL East title and a spot in the ALDS for the Yankees. Cole is now at a 3.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 99:29 K:BB over 95 innings across 17 starts this season. The right-hander's next start is likely to be Game 1 of the ALDS.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Dominant versus Athletics
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Cole (7-5) allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out seven over nine innings to earn the win over the Athletics on Friday.
Cole didn't get a complete game, as the Yankees needed 10 innings to get past the A's in this one. It was the first time all year he's gone beyond six innings, and he threw 66 of his 99 pitches for starts in his third quality start over his last four outings. Cole is now at a 3.67 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 94:28 K:BB through 88.1 innings across 16 starts. He's tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Orioles, which would position Cole well to take the mound for Game 1 of the ALDS should the Yankees be able to maintain their four-game lead in the AL East over Baltimore.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Melts down against Boston
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Cole (6-5) took the loss Saturday as the Yankees were downed 7-1 by the Red Sox, surrendering seven runs on five hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out two and hit three batters with pitches.
The veteran righty threw only 38 of 68 pitches for strikes before getting the hook, and things began to unravel for Cole after he intentionally walked long-time nemesis Rafael Devers with the bases empty in the fourth inning -- a move that the rest of the Boston lineup seemed to take personally. It's the first time since July 6 that Cole has failed to last at least five innings, a 10-start stretch in which he's posted a 2.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66:16 K:BB through 57.2 innings. He'll look to bounce back in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next weekend in Oakland.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Dealt fourth loss
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Cole (6-4) allowed two unearned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Cubs.
A rough first inning was enough to send Cole to the loss, as he gave up two hits and a walk, as well as a pair of fielder's choices, in that frame. Isaac Paredes had the big hit, a two-run single that the Cubs nursed all the way to the end. Cole didn't miss any time after exiting his previous start with a calf cramp. He's allowed one earned run or fewer in five of his last six starts, surrendering a total of seven runs (five earned) with 43:12 K:BB over 34.1 innings in that span. Cole now has a 3.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 85:24 K:BB through 75 innings over 14 starts this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Red Sox.
