TAMPA, Fla.—Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, effectively ending his season. The Yankees announced that the surgery will be performed on Tuesday by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. ElAttrache, who is also the Dodgers’ head team physician, will perform the operation. Cole began experiencing discomfort after his second spring training pitching session last Thursday.
In addition to Cole’s absence, the Yankees are dealing with several other injuries. AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is expected to be out for a minimum of three months due to a strained lat muscle. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is indefinitely sidelined because of tendon pain in both elbows, and infielder DJ LeMahieu is currently dealing with a calf strain.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed the challenging situation, telling the YES Network, “You’ve got to be able to handle it and deal with it and maneuver. It’s not a death sentence for us by any means, so it’s an opportunity for someone else. And, look, if it is where he does have to go get surgery, hopefully, that’s something that not only serves us well in the long haul instead of like if he’s compromised at all or in a tough situation. The reality is Gerrit still has a lot of pitching in front of him in his career and pitching with the Yankees and we want that to be as successful as it’s been already.”
Cole, a six-time All-Star, had an impressive outing last year, winning the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. Although injuries delayed his first start until June 19 due to nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow, he achieved an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA across 17 starts. In the postseason, he went 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA over five starts. This past week, he managed to throw a perfect first inning on Thursday and hit a speed of 97.6 mph in the second inning. Unfortunately, he allowed a three-run homer to Matt Wallner and a solo shot to Brooks Lee later in the game.
Cole, who is signed to a $324 million contract spanning nine years, initially considered opting out of his contract after the World Series, where he could have forfeited $144 million over four years. This initiated a brief window for the Yankees to decide whether to void the opt-out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029. Ultimately, the team chose not to extend the contract, and Cole opted to remain with his current terms.
Throughout his career, Cole has amassed a record of 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA across 12 seasons while playing for Pittsburgh, Houston, and the Yankees. Max Fried is set to lead the rotation that now includes Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman. Among the options for the fifth starter are Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco.
