Gerrit Cole injury: Yankees sweating on another setback with Cy Young pitcher heading for tests on throwing elbow

The New York Yankees' spring is going from bad to worse as the Bronx Bombers received concerning news about ace Gerrit Cole on Friday. The All-Star pitcher is headed for tests on his throwing elbow.

The Yankees were already dealing with setbacks after ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton's tennis elbow issue, ruling him out for the start of the season and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil's lat injury.

MLB insider Jon Morosi reported that Gerrit Cole will undergo a diagnostic on his throwing elbow and his status will be made clear within two days.

"Gerrit Cole is undergoing diagnostic tests on his throwing elbow, source says. Cole’s status should be clearer within the next couple days. He gave up 6 ER in a spring outing yesterday," Morosi wrote on X.

Cole made two starts in Spring Training this year and while he was strong in his first start, the Yankees ace struggled in his last Grapefruit League start against the Twins. He allowed two home runs and conceded six runs in 2 2/3 innings against Minnesota on Thursday.

The one-time Cy Young winner faced a similar issue last year and was eventually shut down for the start of the season with elbow nerve inflammation and edema in March. He started the season on the 60-day injured list and returned to action for the Yankees in June.

Cole remained healthy for the rest of the season and had a strong performance in the Yankees' run through to the World Series in October. He finished with 2.17 ERA across 29 playoff innings in five postseason starts.

Yankees rotation under pressure heading into the 2025 season

With uncertainty around Gerrit Cole's status ahead of Opening Day, new signing Max Fried will most likely lead the Yankees rotation at the start of the season later this month.

While Luis Gil stepped up for the team and had a breakthrough year in Cole's absence last season, Gil has been shut down for six weeks after his lat injury this spring.

Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218 million with the Yankees this offseason, will need help from Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt, if Cole misses a considerable chunk at the start of the season.