Boone shuns speculations over Gerrit Cole’s injury extent, Rodon shows some spine

The Yankees are grappling with uncertainty surrounding the health of their ace pitcher, Gerrit Cole. After experiencing difficulties in recovering from his spring training appearances, Gerrit Cole traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to undergo an evaluation with the renowned specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The specifics of his elbow issue and his availability for the regular season remain unclear at this time.

The Yankees’ 9-4 defeat against the Red Sox on Wednesday was overshadowed by concerns surrounding the health of Gerrit Cole’s elbow. In his post-game interview, Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided little comfort to fans, as he refrained from commenting on the severity of Gerrit Cole’s elbow issue or offering a timeline for his return.

Manager Aaron Boone stated that he understood it was Gerrit Cole and acknowledged it as a significant story. However, he refused to jump to conclusions or speculate. He explained that they were still in the process of gathering information, and everyone needed to weigh in to determine exactly what they had.

Gerrit Cole during an spring training section — MLB

Gerrit Cole, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, has been on a restricted pitch count throughout spring training compared to his fellow starting pitchers. The 33-year-old underwent a series of diagnostic tests, beginning with an MRI on Monday, followed by X-rays and a CT scan on Tuesday.

Boone, demonstrating understandable caution, urged fans to refrain from speculating about Gerrit Cole’s condition. He emphasized the importance of obtaining a comprehensive medical evaluation before drawing any conclusions regarding Gerrit Cole’s availability for the upcoming regular season.

As Gerrit Cole concerns grow, Rodon shines despite giving a HR

carlos-rodon-new-york-yankees — X-@JuanSotoEnjoyer

In his spring training appearance against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon delivered an impressive performance. He pitched four solid innings, allowing only one hit – a colossal 421-foot home run off the bat of Triston Casas. It’s worth noting that Rodón began the game by retiring the first 10 batters he faced.

Although the home run was the only blemish on his outing, Rodón exhibited encouraging signs throughout his start. He demonstrated improved fastball velocity, reaching speeds of up to 97 mph, and struck out three batters over the course of his 68-pitch performance.

In his post-game comments, Rodón expressed satisfaction with his outing, emphasizing the importance of building confidence on the mound.

Rodon goes four innings and just gives up one homer pic.twitter.com/WA3kSmArrK
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 13, 2024

This impressive showing comes on the heels of Rodón’s previous two spring training starts, during which he gave up three home runs over 5⅔ innings. However, his dominant performance against the Red Sox serves as a positive indication of his readiness for his upcoming start in the Yankees‘ second regular-season game against the Houston Astros on March 29th.

What do you think? Leave your comment below.