New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone has reckoned that he has no concerns about ace pitcher Gerrit Cole’s dip in velocity during his final spring training start.
Gerrit Cole revolutionized the perspective towards pitchers in MLB when he signed a nine-year deal worth $324 million in 2020. Since then, he had led the Bombers’ lineup by being their regular starter. Meanwhile, the Yankees will rely heavily on Cole this season as they lost Carlos Rodon to a forearm injury earlier this month. Moreover, the pitching rotation is yet to come together amid injury issues.
On the other hand, this spring season, the Yankees ace has limited his game time to stay way far away from any injury concerns. The team certainly cannot afford to lose Gerrit Cole at this stage. Further, last night, Cole made his fifth and final start for the Yankees in spring and had a fair outing. However, his pitches caused concern among the fans, who questioned his overall health.
Aaron Boone Backs Yankees Ace To Be Ready For Opening Day
Gerrit Cole led last night’s pitching rotation in the Yankees’ 6-4 loss against the Minnesota Twins. In his fifth and final start, Cole made 84 pitches in five innings with zero walks and three strikeouts. However, the ace’s fastball average in the whole game dropped significantly to 96.4 mph, down from his usual mid-to-upper 90s range. Despite the dip, both Cole and Yankees skipper Aaron Boone refuted any alleged concerns regarding the pitcher’s health.
Aaron Boone said Gerrit Cole was trying out a few different things in the changeup, which led to the fall in velocity. While it is true that spring training is often a time for players to work on their mechanics and build up their strength, it is worth noting that a dip in velocity can sometimes be a sign of injury or fatigue. And the Yanks would certainly hope that there are underlying concerns. Cole’s presence in the rotation is extremely crucial in the wake of recent injuries. In this spring training, he had five starts and clocked a 3.32 ERA with 27 strikeouts.
Gerrit Cole Named As Bombers’ Opening Day Starter
New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole has been named as the opening-day starter of the Yanks for the fourth successive time. Since joining the team in 2020, the pitcher has been referred to as one of the most dominant forces in New York. In Gerrit’s first season with the Yankees in the year 2020, he recorded a 2.84 ERA and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting. Further, despite battling injuries, Cole stayed consistent for the longest time possible.
This year, the responsibilities will double up. He will miss the services of his most hyped second starter, Carlos Rodon, who went down with an injury. Clearly, uncertainty is looming over the entire starting rotation due to incessant injuries. Hence, Cole shall stay healthy for as long as possible and stay at the top of his game to help the Yankees dominate defensively.