Brian Cashman spoke to the media, and David Lennon of the Newsday Sports reports that the Yankees’ long-time GM delivered a quote regarding the status of Gerrit Cole’s elbow injury:
“I’m prepared for the worst, but we’ll see how it plays out.”
The Yankees have already seen the initial imaging of Gerrit Cole’s elbow and they’re currently getting second opinions from other specialists at the moment. There aren’t any reports regarding whether the right-hander has suffered a torn UCL or not, but his concern yesterday coupled with the nerve issues he already had near the UCL has rightfully left both fans and members of the organizations petrified of what could come.
Yankees Could Get Nightmare Outcome With Gerrit Cole’s Elbow
Gerrit Cole has been the bedrock of the Yankees’ rotation since signing his massive nine-year deal after the 2019 season, winning the 2023 AL Cy Young and posting a sub-3.00 ERA in regular and postseason play. The Yankees have always been able to rely on him come October to get the ball, but they may have to win the World Series without their ace and leader of the pitching staff.
The worst-case outcome here is a season-ending Tommy John procedure that would knock Cole out for the next 12-18 months, which would not only end his 2025 season but also take a huge chunk out of his 2026 season as well. Max Fried was signed to pair with Cole, but he may have to take over as the new ace of this rotation if they lose their star pitcher for the entirety of 2025.
Brian Cashman is “prepared for the worst” in his own words, and the Yankees have some internal options who they believe can stabilize the rotation for however long they’ll be without Cole.
READ MORE: Yankees ‘on the hunt’ for a new bat to inject offensive support
Will Warren could be one of their internal candidates that win a job out of camp because of Gerrit Cole’s injury, and he has been a headline-grabber in Spring Training. The right-hander has a 1.13 ERA and 11 strikeouts across three outings, and the Yankees like what they’ve seen from him with the refined changeup and better usage of his enticing arsenal. The other candidates who could get rotation spots are Carlos Carrasco and Allan Winans, who were added this winter.
Trading Marcus Stroman may not be off the table if the organization believes he isn’t up to snuff, as there are some veteran starters out on the market who could sign soon. They could also look at the trade market for names like Erick Fedde or Dylan Cease to plug into a rotation that’s falling apart at the seams. Until then, I would expect Stroman to be part of their internal solution for the Yankees as they try to put together a makeshift rotation that’s been torn apart by injury.