The Yankees breathed a sigh of relief that Gerrit Cole will avoid Tommy John surgery

The New York Yankees’ season began on a sour note even before the Opening Day, as their star pitcher and reigning AL Cy Young award winner, Gerrit Cole, experienced some discomfort in his elbow. This caused panic within the organization as they feared the worst for their ace.

Gerrit ColeLAPRESSE

The Yankees ran several tests on Gerrit Cole, including an MRI, due to concerns that the right-handed pitcher may have a tear in his UCL. If this were the case, he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery and would miss the entirety of the 2024 season and beyond.

Gerrit Cole will not have a Tommy John surgery

According to The New York Post, the Yankees can breathe a sigh of relief as starting pitcher Gerrit Cole recently visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for an examination. Fortunately, it appears that Cole will not need to undergo the dreaded Tommy John surgery, as he does not have a tear in his UCL.

However, he will still miss some significant time. He is expected to be sidelined for around two months, as Dr. Neal ElAttrache recommended Cole ‘rest, rehab, and some conservative and non-surgical treatments.’

Who will start on Opening Day for the Yankees?

In the absence of making official the severity of the injury of Gerrit Cole, who would miss his first Opening Day with the New York Yankees since he arrived in 2019, candidates are now being sought to be the one to take the mound on March 28 when they start the season on the road to the Houston Astros.

The inaugural series at Yankee Stadium will kick off on Friday, April 5, when the Bronx Bombers host the Toronto Blue Jays.

In both big games, the natural candidates are Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman, while pitchers such as Cody Morris, Luke Weaver, Luis Gil and Will Warren would be in the mix to join Nestor Cortes Jr and Clarke Schmidt.