- The New York Yankees were supposed to be powered by their starting rotation this season, led by ace Gerrit Cole.
- The 34-year-old Cole was the 2023 American League Cy Young winner and is a six-time All-Star.
- Cole will miss the season, and a part of next season, as he requires Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
The New York Yankees have made the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons, and came up just short in last year’s World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. T
hey were poised to attempt another run at their 28th World Series win in 2025, but they will now have to cope without Gerrit Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young winner. The star pitcher needs Tommy John surgery that will lead to a lengthy absence from the field.
Cole Experienced Elbow Pain in 2024, Didn’t Start Until June
The news was reported on Monday evening at various outlets:
The Yankees would have been a popular spring training bet when Cole was on the mound. However, the 34-year-old made two starts, allowing seven runs in six innings. He was then pelted for six runs on five hits, and was taken deep twice over 2 2/3 innings against Minnesota.
Later on, Cole stated that he felt an “alarming” pain in his elbow, and a torn ulnar collateral ligament. This requires Tommy John surgery, and Cole will be out for 12–18 months. Cole posted a message on his Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
Cole, who won the 2023 American League Cy Young award and is a six-time All-Star, went through the same thing last spring, when he experienced pain in his elbow. However, it was decided that surgery wasn’t needed, and he started the season on the injured list.
However, Cole still made 17 starts, posting an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA, and had 99 strikeouts in 95 innings. He added a 1-0 record in five postseason starts with a 2.17 ERA and also pitched in two World Series games, getting a pair of no-decisions.
How Much Will the Yankees Miss Gerrit Cole?
The Yankees’ World Series odds will likely dip with Cole out of the rotation. It has been a tough few months recently for Yankees’ fans, starting with the World Series loss, then losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets.
The Yankees are also without AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who suffered a lat strain and will be out three months, at least. The reigning AL champions now have to lean heavily on lefty Max Fried, who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Atlanta before signing an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees in December.
But losing Cole is huge for the Yankees as he’s one of the last old-school, innings-eating pitchers in baseball. He has hit the 200-inning mark in six of his 12 MLB seasons, and twice since joining the Yankees in 2020, when he signed a nine-year, $324 million deal.
That deal was the largest for a pitcher, before the Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million deal over 12 years this winter. Cole signed a four-year extension worth $144 million in November. The Yankees insured that contract, so they’ll get money back.
Cole’s competitiveness is also key to the Yankees’ success, and he’ll likely try to be around the team as much as possible to help motivate, especially with the pitchers. Still, this is a considerable blow to the Yankees’ World Series chances in 2025.
