Yankees ace Gerrit Cole exited Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers after six dominant innings due to a right calf cramp. Cole allowed just one run and struck out nine before leaving. The injury will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.
Gerrit Cole downplayed the issue after the game, saying he wasn’t overly concerned. “I wasn’t super worried. It didn’t seem like the right move to keep pushing it out there,” Cole said.
“I had a similar situation last year against the Dodgers. I managed it for a couple of innings until it became too much. I didn’t feel it jogging out there or moving around—it was only on the follow-through.”
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole exits with injury in win over Rangers
Gerrit Cole’s early exit came after he had thrown 97 pitches, looking every bit the Cy Young candidate he’s been this season. He was replaced by reliever Jeff Weaver, who took over in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Yankees went on to win the game 8-4.
Despite the injury scare, Gerrit Cole (6-3) was effective in keeping the Rangers’ offense in check. His only blemish came in the third inning when former Yankees prospect Josh Smith hit a two-out RBI double. Cole’s performance had the Yankees in a strong position before his cramp forced him out.
Anthony Volpe, Gerrit Cole’s teammate, also made headlines by winning his first big-league showdown against high school classmate Jack Leiter. Volpe went 1-for-2 against the Rangers rookie, including a line-drive single in the third inning that sparked a two-run rally for the Yankees.
Leiter, who pitched five innings and allowed two runs, struggled in the sixth when the Yankees’ lineup turned over. The Yankees scored five runs in the inning, effectively sealing the win.
The game was a mixed bag for the Yankees, as catcher Austin Wells took a 95-mph fastball to the hand in the sixth inning, though he was able to finish the game. Giancarlo Stanton added insurance with a solo home run in the eighth, his fifth in the last 10 games.
The Yankees now await updates on Cole’s condition as they prepare for the remainder of the series against the Rangers.
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