On March 8, U.S. time, New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole (Gerrit Cole) won a game in the George W. Bush. M. Stanbrenner admitted that he was "worried" about the discomfort in his right elbow after the start of the Grapefruit League on Thursday and was awaiting a final diagnosis to confirm the need for surgery. The 2023 American League Young Award winner revealed: "The preliminary examination has been made, but it is not conclusive until the expert consultation. "
Injuries are back
This is the second year in a row that Cole has suffered a health crisis in spring training – his return from inflammation and edema in his right elbow was postponed to June last March, after the visit of Dr. Neil Eratlache. Neal ElAttrache) diagnosis is exempt from surgery. Cole has not yet scheduled a trip to Los Angeles for a review, but admits that "there is still hope and we are waiting for the expert to evaluate." "
In Thursday's game against the Twins that conceded six points in 2.2 innings, Cole averaged 95.7 mph (about 154 km/h) and was able to reach a maximum of 97.6 mph, but was hit twice by a home run for inaccurate ball handling. "There was constant soreness after the game, a noticeable abnormality on Friday morning, and difficulty sleeping at night, which was alarming. Cole described.
The rotation crisis has intensified
The Yankees starting rotation has lost the American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil (who is out for three months with a latissimus dorsi strain), and the rest of the team includes Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt. In Kerr's long-term absence, 25-year-old rookie Will Warren (1.13 ERA in eight innings this spring) or non-roster callee Carlos Carrasco could be expected to fill the void.
Schmidt admitted: "There is no need to whitewash - Kerr is the top ace in the league, and a long-term absence will definitely have a huge impact. But we managed to cope with it in the first half of last year, and we can do the same this year. Warren said: "It's a pity to lose Hill and Cole, but there are opportunities. I'm always ready for this moment. "
Kerr started 17 games in the regular season last season with a 3.41 ERA and made five playoff appearances, including a key World Series game against the Dodgers. In the offseason, he exercised his contract option to stay with the team, and said that he was training as planned starting in November and that he was "physically fine". Now that a sudden elbow injury has put the Yankees in their title defense, and designated strikes Giancarlo Stanton and infielder DJ LeMahieu are confirmed to miss the season kick-off, management is facing a serious test.
The medical team will release a detailed diagnosis in the coming days, and the baseball community is waiting with bated breath for the fate of the eight-time All-Star.