JUPITER, Fla. — The Yankees didn't have an official Gerrit Cole update on Sunday, but were revealing their day on Ace's status, just like yesterday.
Ahead of the Yankees' spring training matchup on Sunday afternoon, general manager Brian Cashman was less optimistic about his ace.
“[I’m] He told the Post and Newsday. “You'll see how it unfolds. I always think the worst and want the best.”
“It's obviously not what you want, but it's ultimately part of our journey in 2025,” he added.
In the second consecutive spring offseason, the Yankees were nervous and found themselves on the edge of their seats with the 2023 CY Young winner.
Cole, who experienced discomfort following his second spring start with the twins on Thursday, received a “first idea” of the injury after being tested and imaging on his right elbow on Friday.
He is currently seeking additional opinions.
The 34-year-old gave up six runs in two innings while increasing his pitch count to 54, and manager Aaron Boone said he hopes for an update Monday.
On Saturday, Cole said he was “worried” at the idea that he had to undergo surgery on the same elbow that closed him last season.
Cashman agreed to the six-time All-Star, saying, “He should be worried,” but countered that the Yankees and Cole were ready to handle the situation just a year ago.
“I was with him in Tampa. I think it was last year. [it was] It's very emotional [for Cole] Because it was a whole new experience,” Cashman said. “This year, it's not emotional because he's already walking this line. And I think he's mentally ready to deal with it because he's already dealt with this before. So, that's even the worst case scenario. In general, we're all in a better position to handle something if we've had experience dealing with it in the past.
“So he's already had a lot of conversations. He's had a lot of engagements with the doctor and he went through this last year. So, this year there's less emotional shock and now what needs to be done here and what's the best route for him and us?”
Still, at this point in March, it's “hard,” Cashman said, looking for possible moves to help another injury nightmare if necessary.
It's a difficult drug to swallow for the Yankees. In particular, they were diagnosed with a high-grade latitude strain that would put him aside until at least June after already dealing a major blow to the rotation when they were already dominating America's Rookie of the Year.
Marcus Stroman is expected to fill for Gill, and if Cole misses the time off the mound, the door opens for right-handed Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco, along with another depth piece from Alan Winans.
The situation was not what the organization could have predicted.
They prepared to avoid this very position and changed the regimen throwing Cole offseason.
He followed the program and explained that Cashman looked like “smooth sailing.”
“Last year we had a successful rehabilitation with him,” Cashman said. “You know, he's back and pitched great for us in the second half and obviously dominated the postseason. So, certainly, it felt like smooth sailing was ahead, but again, pitching is very fragile. It's just common and in his particular case, it obviously broke down this time last spring at this point, but now we're dealing with a different situation. So we're going to do what we have to do.”
Cole pitched 95 innings in 17 starts last season before setting out five more starts in the Yankees postseason, where he held a 2.17 ERA.
