TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had imaging on his right elbow, and he expects to know more about the situation in the next couple of days.
Cole, 34, was tagged for six runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings during a spring training start against Minnesota on Thursday. He told reporters that he felt good during the outing, but he got more and more sore after it was over.
"Something wasn’t right,” he said Saturday.
Cole told reporters, including one for MLB.com, that the imaging had been distributed, and he is waiting for second opinions on the injury.
“I’ve still got some hope,” he said.
Cole missed the start of last season because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.
The right-hander signed a $324 million, nine-year contract before the 2020 season. He won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, going 15-4 with an AL-best 2.63 ERA in 33 starts.
The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries during spring training. Right-hander Luis Gil is going to miss the start of the season because of a lat strain. Giancarlo Stanton also will begin the year on the injured list because of pain in both of his elbows. Infielder DJ LeMahieu has a left calf strain.
Stanton is going to have a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections. Speaking to reporters in Florida, the slugger described his elbow injuries as severe, but better than it was at the beginning of spring training.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Associated Press
