The Yankees have introduced that ace Gerrit Cole will bear Tommy John surgical procedure on Tuesday. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will carry out the process. The group will present additional updates following the surgical procedure, however there isn’t any doubt that the 2023 AL Cy Younger winner will miss your entire 2025 season.
Cole, 34, went for diagnostic exams on his elbow final week. He instructed reporters he was “involved” by the outcomes of the preliminary testing however expressed some hope {that a} second opinion might assuage the worst of his considerations. Sadly, Cole’s appointment at this time with Dr. ElAttrache solely confirmed that the right-hander wants Tommy John to restore a torn UCL in his pitching arm.
It is a crushing blow to the reigning AL champions. The everyday restoration timeline for Tommy John surgical procedure is roughly 12-18 months. New York survived with out Cole for just below three months final season when elbow irritation saved him out till mid-June. This 12 months, the Yankees must get by with out their primary starter in any respect. They have to be glad they gained the bidding battle to signal Max Fried this offseason, inking the two-time All-Star to an eight-year, $218MM deal. The southpaw will now lead a rotation that additionally options Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt. Rounding out the beginning 5 to start the 12 months will seemingly be Marcus Stroman (whom the Yankees are absolutely glad they didn’t commerce earlier this offseason) and prime pitching prospect Will Warren. Final 12 months’s AL Rookie of the Yr, Luis Gil, will miss the start of the 12 months with a lat pressure however will hopefully return someday in June. Non-roster invitee Carlos Carrasco is one other arm who might provide rotation depth.
That group of arms might nonetheless make up a superbly succesful beginning rotation for a contending membership, however the error bars are a lot wider now, and there’s no query the Yankees are a a lot much less harmful World Collection contender with out Cole. It doesn’t assist that they’re additionally coping with harm points on the opposite aspect of the ball. Veteran bats Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) and DJ LeMahieu (calf) are prone to miss the start of the season.
Presumably, the Yankees will contemplate their choices to improve their rotation externally. Accessible free brokers embody Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Spencer Turnbull, though none of these names provide something near the star energy the Yankees misplaced. Thus, if GM Brian Cashman needs to discover a top-of-the-rotation alternative for Cole, he’ll have to show to the commerce market. Among the most fascinating potential commerce candidates embody Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, Luis Castillo of the Mariners, and Dylan Stop and Michael King of the Padres. The latest reporting on all of these pitchers means that an offseason commerce is unlikely, however a determined Yankees group might actually change that.
The Yankees had an opportunity to half methods with the six-time All-Star this offseason when Cole triggered his opt-out clause in November. The group might have blocked his opt-out by including one other 12 months and $36MM to the tip of his contract, which they selected to not do. Nevertheless, the 2 sides finally agreed to stay collectively as if Cole had by no means triggered his opt-out within the first place, with the Yankees conserving him round for the 4 years and $144MM remaining on his unique assured deal. In different phrases, whereas the Yankees could have had their considerations about Cole’s longevity, they might not have been overly anxious that his elbow troubles would rear their ugly head once more so quickly.
From 2017-22, Cole led all pitchers with 173 begins and 1070 2/3 innings pitched. He handled some elbow irritation in 2016, however from then till 2024, his solely IL stint was as a consequence of COVID-19 protocols. In an age of ever-increasing arm accidents and ever-decreasing inning counts, Cole has been a workhorse, topping 200 innings in a season six instances within the final ten years. Sadly, his run of wholesome seasons got here to an finish final 12 months, and this coming season would be the first since 2012 through which Cole doesn’t pitch. As a substitute, he’ll flip his focus towards his rehab in an effort to overlook as little of the 2026 marketing campaign as doable.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
