New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been dealing with elbow soreness in his pitching elbow for a chunk of the offseason. After the initial evaluations, the righty was sent in to have an MRI.
While awaiting the results of the MRI, general manager Brian Cashman admitted he was preparing for the worst. The worst, in this situation, would be Tommy John surgery on Cole’s UCL.
On Sunday night, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden reported that the worst-case scenario might be coming true for the Bronx Bombers and their ace.
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“According to source, Gerrit Cole has been recommended to have TJ surgery… but they are now waiting for a 2nd opinion to confirm the diagnosis,” Bowden wrote in a post to Twitter/X on Sunday night.
Obviously, the second opinion could change things for Cole and the Yankees, but the situation seems to have gone from bad to worse. It isn’t common for these second opinions to change the diagnosis or recommendations.
If Cole is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, it will sideline him for the entire 2025 season and potentially into 2026.
The Yankees, who are already without Luis Gil, would need to look quickly to replace Cole. An injury like this would thrust top prospect Will Warren into the rotation to begin the year, whether he’s ready or not.
Some trade options the Yankees could pursue include Erick Fedde, Dylan Cease and Sandy Alcántara. They could also look to reunite with Sonny Gray or Michael King.
Either way, the Bronx Bombers should be moving quickly to replace Cole because it doesn’t seem like he’ll be pitching in 2025.
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