“I’ve still got some hope” - Gerrit Cole remains cautiously optimistic despite suffering potential season-ending injury

Gerrit Cole has served as the New York Yankees ace since he signed his nine-year, $324 million contract ahead of the 2020 season. Since then, he has been able to dodge major injuries.

However, that may not be the case this year. The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner felt discomfort in his throwing elbow and went to get imaging done, and he got those results back.

Cole is now seeking a second opinion on the matter. Despite this, he is still staying cautiously optimistic that this is not a significant injury, via MLB insider Bryan Hoch.

"I've still got some hope. I'm just waiting for the experts to weigh in" said Cole.

Cole had an elbow scare last season in March as well. However, imaging showed he did not need Tommy John surgery and was only shut down for a month. Hopefully, the same can happen here.

He is just another player whose 2025 season is now in jeopardy. Giancarlo Stanton is currently dealing with elbow injuries, and season-ending surgery is not completely off the table.

Clarke Schmidt speaks on the importance of Gerrit Cole

New York Yankees Workouts - Gerrit Cole (Photo via IMAGN)

If Gerrit Cole has to miss significant time, it will be on Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren to really step up. And that is seemingly what the two are gearing up for as they wait for a second opinion.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it - he's a top of the league guy and has been an ace in this league for a long, long time. He'll be missed if it's something longer-term," said Schmidt.

Schmidt spoke about just how important Cole is to the rotation and the team as a whole. If he has to miss a significant period, he and the rest of the pitching staff are ready to pick him up.

"Regardless, I think we've got to pick him up as a staff. I know we did a pretty good job of that in the first half last year when he was gone, and I think we're very capable of doing that again" he added.

Clarke feels confident that the rotation can step it up if Cole has to miss time. However, they will have to do it without Luis Gil, who is dealing with a high-grade lat strain and will miss three months. The Yankees cannot afford to lose another player, whether that is a pitcher or a hitter.