Cole to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is out for the season after the club announced Monday that he needs Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow.
Cole will undergo the procedure Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old complained of soreness after he allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings in a spring outing March 6 against the Minnesota Twins. He subsequently underwent diagnostic testing and then visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion after admitting to being "concerned" about his elbow. Dr. ElAttrache will perform Cole's surgery.
Cole also visited Dr. ElAttrache last March after experiencing elbow issues in spring training. At that time, surgery was ruled out, and Cole instead rested for nearly two months. He returned to the Yankees' rotation in June and made 17 starts down the stretch, plus another five during their AL pennant run.
Cole had taken steps to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2024 by beginning his spring throwing program earlier than usual, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
The 2023 AL Cy Young winner has been one of baseball's top starters since joining the Yankees, winning 59 games with a 3.12 ERA and 10.8 K/9 in 125 starts.
Cole briefly opted out of the final four years of his contract in November. However, he changed his mind when the Yankees informed him they wouldn't void the move by adding a guaranteed 10th year to his deal. He's now owed $144 million through 2028.
New York will likely rely on a rotation of Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and Will Warren with Cole and fellow starter Luis Gil out of action. Other internal rotation options include non-roster invitees Carlos Carrasco, Sean Boyle, Brandon Leibrandt, and Erick Leal.