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The New York Yankees were just three victories away from winning their first World Series since 2009 this past season. But since that point, things have gone about as poorly as you could’ve imagined for the Bronx Bombers. They lost superstar outfielder Juan Soto in free agency to the rival New York Mets, and now it appears Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole could be facing an injury that could end his 2025 season before it begins.
Cole said that he experienced discomfort during a recent throwing session at Spring Training. underwent tests on his right elbow Friday and said he is “concerned” about what the imaging might show. “I’ve still got some hope. I’m just waiting for the experts to weigh in,” he said.
But Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did little to quell fears of fans when asked what he thought about COle’s injury.
“[I’m] prepared for the worst,” the Yankees GM said Sunday. “We will see how it plays out. I’m always wired to think the worst and hope for the best.”
Doctors Recommend Tommy John For New York Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole
Now, that could well have been Cashman just setting the bar as low as it can possibly go and hoping that Cole’s MRI results somehow clear it. But usually players and general managers have some idea of how bad an injury is going to be shortly after it happens. And as it turns out, things were exactly as bad as both he and Cole thought.
Chris Kirschner and Jim Bowden of The Athletic report that doctors have recommended that Cole have Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm. The 34-year-old six-time All-Star has never had the surgery before, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Like a torn ACL in football, Tommy John is far less of a death sentence for a pitcher’s career than it was previously. Both 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale and Philadelphia Phillies ace Zach Wheeler have had the surgery and came back better than ever. But the Yankees are in their window to win now and Cole will likely be 36 years old by the time he returns to the rotation.
Five months ago, the Yankees were just about back to on top of the baseball world. But things change fast in sports, and now it appears all those good vibes are long gone as New York begins a new season.