The New York Yankees have waited two and a half months to see their ace Gerrit Cole in action. Cole, the reigning AL CY Young pitcher, who got ruled out in spring with a elbow nerve inflammation injury, is finally scheduled to make his second debut on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Gerrit Cole’s return is obviously a major boost to the New York Yankees rotation who are leading MLB with best 51-24 record and 2.99 ERA. However, the timing of return could be an issue for the Bronx Bombers as MLB is witnessing one of the most scariest trends when it comes to aces.
Will Gerrit Cole Catch The Injury Bug Like His Peers?
The 2024 MLB season has been a nightmare for starting pitchers, especially aces. As of this writing, 17 top pitchers have undergone Tommy John surgery. Additionally, aces like Blake Snell (6 GS, 9.51 ERA) and Justin Verlander (10 GS, 3.95 ERA) have also encountered serious injuries. Hence, it’s only natural to stay fearful of Gerrit Cole getting caught in the scary trend. However, the reigning AL CY Young pitcher’s case is slightly different than his peers. Over the years, Cole has been the most effective and durable pitcher in MLB. He last faced a serious scare back in 2019 before banging up his elbow this year in spring. Additionally, Cole is coming off a long layoff, which rules out the fatigue factor.
Moreover, the New York Yankees’ starting rotation has been nothing short of a revelation this year without Gerrit Cole. Hence, the ace won’t even have that pressure of carrying the rotation on his shoulders. All Cole is required to do is half a decent job he did in 2023. Therefore, the Yankees have nothing to worry about, given they take extra care of Cole during the season. Proper rest days, coupled with being mindful of his innings and pitch count stretch and other factors, should be given priority while maintaining his workload management plan. On the other hand, Gerrit Cole will need to do a bit of self-analysis from his end to figure out what works best for him when it comes to keeping his durability in check. All eyes now on Wednesday as the Yankees ace takes mound for the first time this season.
Ben Rice Comes Up With Unique Roll Call Gesture On Yankees Debut
After Anthony Rizzo was placed on 10-day IL, the New York Yankees called up top prospect Ben Rice and gave him a game against the Orioles on Tuesday. As Rice was getting his debut roll call, he turned around and gestured as if he were eating a bowl of rice. “I came up with that in the locker room probably only like an hour before the game,” Rice said.
Ben Rice had his family, girlfriend, high school and college friends attending his debut game at the Yankee Stadium. The prospect explained his emotions as a whirlwind as he was on the move throughout the game and could barely rest. Rice got his first extra base hit in the major league his wide smile summed up his excitement.
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