MLB Rumors: Yankees' Gerrit Cole to Avoid Tommy John Surgery; No Tear on Elbow Injury

There is "belief" that New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole can avoid Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow, according to Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.

Cole visited surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Thursday, who reportedly agreed with team doctors that there is not a tear in his UCL. The 33-year-old is expected to miss one to two months "or perhaps just a bit more" before he's able to return, per Heyman and Sanchez.

Cole originally revealed that he was feeling some discomfort in his throwing arm during spring training, as he was experiencing issues with his recovery after outings. He pitched two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 1, recording one strikeout and allowing three earned runs. Cole did not appear in a game since.

"His recovery, before getting to his next start, has been more akin to what he feels during the season, when he's making 100 pitches," Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "When he's at 45 [pitches] and building to 55, he usually doesn't have the recovery issues he's having."

While everyone in the organization will likely breathe a sigh of relief after Tommy John surgery appears to have been avoided, New York will still be without the 2023 American League Cy Young winner for the beginning of the 2024 season.

The Yankees are looking for a pitcher to help the team get off to a strong start in the wake of Cole's expected absence, as the front office made an offer for right-hander Dylan Cease before he was traded from the Chicago White Sox to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday (via Jon Morosi of MLB Network).

If the team is unable to acquire another starter before Opening Day, New York will enter the season with Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt taking up the first four spots in the rotation.