The Yankees have been holding their breath for the better part of a week trying to determine the severity of Gerrit Cole’s elbow injury. The Bombers sent Cole to a number of doctors to get different opinions on a potential rehab process and what that might look like in terms of length.
With fears of Tommy John surgery starting to creep into the fan base, Cole will fortunately avoid that devastating reality. Instead, Cole mentioned on Saturday afternoon that he would spend the next 3–4 weeks without throwing a ball but doing some minor exercises to keep his arm alive.
The Yankees Will Get Their Ace Back
The hope is that Cole can start ramping up after a month of rest and recovery, which would put him on a potential timeline to return in June, ahead of the All-Star break and eyeing a World Series appearance.
Fortunately, the Yankees will get their superstar pitcher back in 2024, but they will certainly be cautious with his recovery and give him all the time he needs to return to full health.
Cole is coming off a 2023 season in which he tossed 209 innings, posting a 2.63 ERA, 9.56 strikeouts per nine, an 80.4% left-on-base rate, and a 39.6% ground ball rate. He was the AL Cy Young Award winner, and he is one of the few players the Yankees simply can’t afford to lose.
Luckily, they dodged the worst of the injury and the Yankees don’t have to make any major reactionary acquisitions to combat his loss early in the season.