The New York Yankees are undecided on their 2024 MLB season opening day starting pitcher choice after Gerrit Cole got ruled out for 1-2 months. Cole’s pitching elbow is not functioning well. And the pitcher is going through advanced scans for the same to determine the future course of action.
While Gerrit Cole reportedly cleared of a potential UCL tear, the reigning AL CY Young pitcher is still expected to miss 1-2 months of baseball action. Meanwhile, amid Yank’s desperate quest to find a replacement for Cole, a prominent off-season addition has dismissed his name from the contention race, citing workload issues.
Marcus Stroman Declines Yankees Request To Fill Gerrit Cole’s Shoes On Opening Day
Marcus Stroman, who signed a two-year $37 million contract with the New York Yankees this off-season, refused the idea of being Gerrit Cole’s replacement on opening day. Apparently, after Cole was ruled out for 1-2 months, manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman approached Stroman to consider starting on opening day. However, the pitcher refused to alter his schedule and insisted on pitching at his scheduled start in Game 3 vs. Houston Astros. After the news spread, Marcus Stroman confirmed having those conversations with the team’s front office. He explained that disrupting the schedule to cover up for someone else seems easier said than done. “But like I said, that’s not my nature, man. Doesn’t matter to me,” said Stroman.
Basically, Marcus Stroman fears that rushing his schedule would lead to unwanted injury concerns, which he wants to avoid at all costs in his debut season with the New York Yankees. He does not see any upside in changing the schedule this late into spring. Meanwhile, Yankee skipper Aaron Boone has already picked his preferred starter for opening day. While refusing to reveal specific details, Boone admitted to changing the schedules of certain pitchers to accommodate them to opening day. “I just want to let a few more days go off the clock. A lot can happen,” said Boone. Speaking of options, Boone can either turn to Nestor Cortes or Clarke Schmidt, as Carlos Rodon is slated to start on day 2. Of course, both of the starters would have to disrupt their schedules to be ready for opening day. But given the dire circumstances, something has to give. Somebody has to be the bigger person and take responsibility.
Gerrit Cole Escapes Worst Case Scenario After Visit To Specialist Surgeon
In what could be viewed as a little glimmer of hope, Gerrit Cole has been cleared of a UCL tear on his pitching elbow. The reigning AL CY Young pitcher touched down in LA to meet with specialist surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He agreed to the Yankees staff’s diagnosis.
Dr. Neal reportedly advised Gerrit Cole to treat his elbow discomfort with rest, rehab & conservative non-surgical treatments. As per available information, Cole is likely to miss at least 1-2 months with this injury. He could return around late May or early June given the pitcher suffers no additional setbacks in his rehabilitation.
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