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Yankees ace Gerrit Cole may be back sooner than once thought.
The Yankees announced, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, that Cole's UCL surgery included internal bracing. This relatively new procedure reduces inflammation and speeds up recovery time.
The recovery time for this type of procedure is generally closer to 12 months than the 12-18 months it would take for the traditional Tommy John surgery.
Of course, there's still a lot of time before the Yankees and Cole know when he'll be able to take the mound again, but this news bodes well for the 2023 AL Cy Young winner to return before the 2026 All-Star break.
Cole, 34, isn't the first Yankee to undergo this internal brace procedure. Both Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira underwent this type of elbow surgery in recent years. Dominguez returned to play late last season after undergoing the procedure before the end of the 2023 season, and Pereira returned to action this spring after going under the knife in June of last year.
Of course, both are outfielders and elbow surgeries are much more serious for pitchers, but it showcases how quickly the internal brace can shorten recovery times and the organization's familiarity with it.
If Cole were to miss the start of the 2026 season, the ace and Yankees are accustomed to that as well. Cole misseed roughly the first three months of the 2024 season with inflammation in his right elbow but returned to pitch with a 3.41 ERA across 95 innings over 17 starts when he returned in June. However, the Yankees will have to find a way to navigate this year without their ace and Luis Gil for a stretch as the reigning AL Rookie of the Year deals with an oblique strain.
Without Cole and Gil, the Yankees' starting rotation will include Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman, with the No. 5 spot on the starting staff likely coming down to Will Warren, Allan Winans, or Carlos Carrasco.
Continue reading...
The Yankees announced, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, that Cole's UCL surgery included internal bracing. This relatively new procedure reduces inflammation and speeds up recovery time.
The recovery time for this type of procedure is generally closer to 12 months than the 12-18 months it would take for the traditional Tommy John surgery.
Of course, there's still a lot of time before the Yankees and Cole know when he'll be able to take the mound again, but this news bodes well for the 2023 AL Cy Young winner to return before the 2026 All-Star break.
Cole, 34, isn't the first Yankee to undergo this internal brace procedure. Both Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira underwent this type of elbow surgery in recent years. Dominguez returned to play late last season after undergoing the procedure before the end of the 2023 season, and Pereira returned to action this spring after going under the knife in June of last year.
Of course, both are outfielders and elbow surgeries are much more serious for pitchers, but it showcases how quickly the internal brace can shorten recovery times and the organization's familiarity with it.
If Cole were to miss the start of the 2026 season, the ace and Yankees are accustomed to that as well. Cole misseed roughly the first three months of the 2024 season with inflammation in his right elbow but returned to pitch with a 3.41 ERA across 95 innings over 17 starts when he returned in June. However, the Yankees will have to find a way to navigate this year without their ace and Luis Gil for a stretch as the reigning AL Rookie of the Year deals with an oblique strain.
Without Cole and Gil, the Yankees' starting rotation will include Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman, with the No. 5 spot on the starting staff likely coming down to Will Warren, Allan Winans, or Carlos Carrasco.
Continue reading...
