Gerrit Cole reveals his Yankees injury, confident he’ll pitch this season

MLB

by Greg Joyce

TAMPA – Gerrit Cole was “feeling pretty good” after meeting with Dr. Neal El-Atrache in Los Angeles earlier this week as fans all held their breath.

The Yankees ace was diagnosed with nerve inflammation and edema in his elbow, which will keep him from pitching for three to four weeks before he rebuilds, but his prognosis is optimistic given the possibility of alternatives. It seemed to be.

“I think we decided the spring got a little too hot too soon,” Cole said Saturday in his first comments since undergoing a series of tests on his pitching elbow at Steinbrenner Field. “We’ve been going through a normal recovery cycle, but at some point we weren’t able to get back to the baseline like we were aiming for. At that point, it was time to see what was going on. .”

Even if Cole were able to successfully start his pitching program within three to four weeks, he would likely need to build up a full six weeks of spring training, leaving the door to a return by late May in the best case scenario. It will remain open. scenario.

Cole indicated he was “absolutely” confident in returning to pitching this season.

The 33-year-old current AL Cy Young Award winner said he will not receive a PRP injection in his elbow, choosing instead to “just rest and recover” for the next three to four weeks.

“But we’re going to keep the arm alive,” Cole said, referring to plyometrics and arm movement. “It’s not like we’re not doing anything. This is the terminology the doctors have explained to us: they’re going to keep the arm alive for the next three to four weeks, and then we’ll be in full swing.”

This is the first time Cole has been placed on the disabled list due to an arm injury.

He said he felt great during the offseason and had never experienced anything like this before.

“So, for me, that’s not a common experience,” he said. “I’ve never really dealt with anything like this before. When you experience something for the first time, there’s always some apprehension. But I had a lot of faith.”