Gerrit Cole’s 2024 season after winning AL CY Young award in 2023 hasn’t been as smooth as he would have imagined. The New York Yankees ace suffered from a serious elbow injury in spring which was only the second in his career that he had to miss over 2 months of action.
However, Gerrit Cole returned to the mound in June, a little shaky, but yet impactful under the right conditions. That being said, on Monday, Cole scared the New York Yankees fans when he abandoned his dominant start against the Rangers mid-way with visible discomfort in his right leg. On Tuesday, Cole shared a positive update on the same.
Gerrit Cole Rules Out Injury Risk With No Soreness In Right Leg Calf Muscle
New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole exited the mound after 6 innings in his dominant start against the Texas Rangers on Monday. Cole has allowed only 1 run on 3 hits when he notices cramps in his right leg calf muscle. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to stretch out the discomfort, the ace sought a voluntary exit and aborted his start. Needless to say, Cole’s departure raised concerns among Yankee supporters, especially given his crucial role in the team’s rotation. Interestingly, addressing the media a day later, Gerrit Cole downplayed the issue and confirmed that he developed no soreness whatsoever on the calf muscle.
Gerrit Cole expressed that the cramps were nothing serious and that he expects to be ready for his next scheduled start. This news comes as a relief to the New York Yankees, who are heavily relying on Cole to maintain their postseason push. Manager Aaron Boone believes the team dodged a bullet as these days, pitchers have not been largely immune to injuries. And Cole, for that matter, already suffered from a prolonged battle at the beginning of the season. “Definitely a big sigh of relief, especially when you’re running out there not knowing what’s going on and fearing the worst,” Boone said in a press conference. Notably, the ace owns a 3.65 ERA across 13 starts this season with 78 strikeouts. Regardless, the Yanks will keep a close eye on Cole’s workload going forward. Fatigue has been an issue for him this year, and the Yanks must keep him fresh for the postseason as well.
Yankees Reveals 6-Man Rotation For Next Week
In a significant development, the New York Yankees will field with a 6-man rotation in the coming 5 days as Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil are set to be activated from IL this weekend. Gerrit Cole will pitch on Sunday as per schedule with Schmidt and Gil pitching in first two games against Chicago.
Nestor Cortes will piggyback for Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt and then return to the rotation next week. That being said, the coming week is crucial for the New York Yankees after they lost first place to the Baltimore Orioles with an 80-59 record. The playoff spot cannot be taken lightly, especially as the regular season nears its end.
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