Yankees superstar pitcher Gerrit Cole underwent MRI testing on Monday, and while the team hasn’t reported any updates or results, the expectation is that things will come back relatively clean.
Cole had been struggling to rebound from his spring training start and wanted to avoid any potential injury, which prompted insiders to consider the testing “precautionary.”
The Yankees Are Hopeful Tests Will Come Back Positive
Fortunately, Cole showed good strength testing on his throwing arm, and all of the physical tests came back positive. The hope is that the issue is nothing more than a slight strain or something that requires a few weeks of downtime since the Yankees desperately need him to be 100% healthy for the 2024 season, a year where they have World Series aspirations.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, the early diagnosis is there’s cautious optimism that Cole will be fine long-term, which would be the best-case scenario.
“I’m sensing some cautious optimism about how this result is going to go…terms like precautionary are being thrown around not ‘oh bleep we’re screwed’…the ultimate story will be told by the results of that imaging.”
Now 33 years old, Cole is coming off an AL Cy Young award-winning performance in 2023. He tossed 209 innings, hosting a 2.63 ERA, an 80.4% left-on base rate, and a 39.6% ground ball rate. He was the best pitcher in baseball, given the sample size, and he’s been nothing short of consistent since during the Yankees back in 2020.
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Over the four seasons he’s worn pinstripes, Cole has pitched over 180 innings in three of them. The Yankees are extremely cautious about Cole’s health. If he’s dealing with any slight discomfort, they expect to shut him down until they can put together a more comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
Aside from Cole, the Yankees received positive scans on our Judge’s abdominal section. Everything came back clean, and Judge indicated it was just soreness from extensive work this winter.
Oswald Peraza hasn’t been as lucky, picking up a shoulder injury that will knock him out for 6–8 weeks. Peraza will likely lose the utility job in the infield, suggesting the Yankees could bring in a veteran to supplement his latest injury.