The New York Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday to end the season. According to the Yankees, Dr. Neal ElAttrache examined the 34-year-old right-hander on Monday at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. ElAttrache, the team doctor for the Dodgers, will perform the surgery on Cole. Cole issued a statement that read, “This isn’t the news any athlete wants to hear, but it’s the necessary next step for my career.” “I am fully committed to the work that lies ahead and still has a lot to give.” I’ll put in a lot of effort each day toward my rehabilitation and support the 2025 Yankees every step of the way… I’ve never been more ready to go back to the mound. Cole felt uncomfortable after his second spring training appearance on Thursday. Additionally, the Yankees are without AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who will be out for at least three months due to a strained lat muscle. Infielder DJ LeMahieu is out with a calf strain and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is out for good with elbow tendon pain. Manager Aaron Boone told the YES Network, “You’ve got to be able to handle it, deal with it, and maneuver” before the team announced Cole’s surgery. “It’s an opportunity for someone else… it’s not a death sentence for us in any way.” Gerrit still has a lot of pitching to do in his career, including his time with the Yankees, and we want that to be as successful as it has been thus far. Six-time All-Star Cole threw a flawless first inning on Thursday. In the second, he reached 97.6 mph and let Matt Wallner hit a fastball in the middle of the zone for a three-run home run. He also surrendered Brooks Lee’s solo homer in the third on a 94 mph fastball with a 3-0 count.
Before the 2020 season, Cole signed a nine-year contract worth $324 million. Due to nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow, the six-time All-Star did not make his first start in 2023 because he had won the AL Cy Young Award. In 17 starts, he was 8-5 with a 3.41 earned run average. In five postseason starts, he was 1-0 with a 2.17 earned run average. He exercised his right to opt out of his contract on the third day following the World Series, giving up $144 million over four years and giving the team two days to void the opt-out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029. New York decided not to add the year, and Cole then elected to keep his contract.
Cole has a 153-80 record and a 3.18 earned run average in 12 seasons with Pittsburgh (2013-17), Houston (2018-19), and the Yankees (2020-24). Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt are also in the rotation under Max Fried’s direction at the moment. Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren are two potential candidates for a fifth starter.
