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The New York Yankees are gearing up to make another run at a championship after falling short in the World Series last season, but that task got much more difficult before they could even make it out of spring training.
Star pitcher Gerrit Cole got some exams on his elbow after his latest tuneup start, and on Monday the Yankees' worst fears were confirmed. Cole will have Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 season, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
“New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow to repair a torn right ulnar collateral ligament and miss the 2025 season,” Passan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Cole missed a big chunk of last season with elbow problems that started in spring training 2024, but still made it back into the lineup to post a 3.41 ERA in eight starts. Unfortunately, he will not be able to get back on the field for New York until 2026.
Coming into the spring, both Cole and the Yankees were surely hoping that he would find his form from 2023 again. During that season, Cole took home AL Cy Young honors after a season where he led the American League in innings pitched (209) and ERA (2.63).
That will now have to wait until next season as Cole faces a long and arduous recovery ahead.
Without Cole, the Yankees still have a pair of starting pitchers who have ace potential, but neither has shown the level that Cole has been at for most of the last decade.
Former Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried is one of the newest Yankees and finished 2024 with a 3.25 ERA and two complete games on his way to an All-Star selection. The Yankees also bring back Carlos Rodon for his third season in the Bronx. He will be looking for a bounce-back after an injury-riddled 2023 and a rocky 2024 that saw him with an ERA just under four.
