TAMPA – The New York Yankees and their star ace pitcher can breathe a massive sigh of relief.
Gerrit Cole, a right-hander, had a successful appointment with special surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. It is anticipated that the AL Cy Young winner will not undergo Tommy John surgery
The news was initially reported by Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.
The Post reports that Cole was initially advised to take it easy, get back into shape, and rehabilitate his right elbow conservatively without resorting to surgery.
Cole’s expected absence from therapy is one to two months, but it could be longer.
Cole likened the sensation of not recovering from his spring starts to tossing more than 100 pitches during a regular season game. Due of this, the ace had to go through a number of procedures, including an MRI and CT scan, before the Yankees sent him to Los Angeles to see ElAttrache.
ElAttrache confirmed with the Yankees’ team doctors that Cole’s UCL is not torn, as reported by The Post. This is excellent news for both the pitcher and the franchise.
The 33-year-old will be sidelined for a considerable amount of time, but the Yankees want to have him back this year. Cole is expected to return by late May or early June. But, as previously mentioned, the length of his stay on the IL may vary based on how long it takes him to complete the necessary rehab milestones.
According to ElAttrache’s diagnosis and the medical opinions of the Yankees’ team physicians, Cole should be able to recuperate with rest and non-surgical therapies and return to the major league squad in time to throw in important games when the weather warms up in the northeast.
