New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will be out at least one-to-two months with his elbow injury and he will head to Los Angeles for an appointment with sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

ElAttrache viewed Gerrit Cole's preliminary film after he received an MRI earlier this week on his throwing elbow. While there has not been a tear detected in his ulnar collateral ligament, there is enough concern about the ligament that ElAttrache suggested an in-person visit, according to Heyman.

Cole will be out for an “extended period,” but for now, the hope is that he could return to the Yankees' rotation sometime in May or early June, according to Heyman.

The Yankees had ruled out Cole starting on Opening Day against the Houston Astros, and they were optimistic that he could be back soon after that with rest. However, ElAttrache's recommendation of more testing raises the level of worry.

Cole had been hitting his normal velocity and had his usual command in spring so far, but was not recovering like he normally did, which prompted the MRI.

Still, the fact that the initial thoughts based on Cole's MRI is not to get Tommy John surgery is a sigh of relief for Yankees fans. It would be a massive blow to the Yankees' chances if he needed to miss the entire 2024 season. That might still be on the table with further examination from ElAttrache, but for now, there remains optimism that he could return at some point this season.