Yankees' Gerrit Cole: MLB 'Shortsighted' in Dismissal of Pitch Clock's Injury Impact

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole wasn't satisfied with the league's response to concerns from the Major League Baseball Players Association regarding the health impacts since the pitch clock rule change in 2023.

"When I read the response from MLB — I didn't think it was very thorough," Cole said, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "To be able to say you implement something in one year and it has no effect is shortsighted. We are really going to understand the effects of what the pitch clock is maybe five years down the road, but to dismiss it out of hand, I didn't think it was helpful for the situation."

On Saturday, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark released a statement raising concerns over the shortened pitch clock rule:

When the clock was first introduced, pitchers were given 15 seconds to throw without runners on base and 20 seconds with a runner on. Following a Dec. 2023 rule change, the clock with runners on was decreased to 18 seconds.

The league replied to Clark on Saturday with its own statement that claimed the MLBPA's statement "ignores the empirical evidence and much more significant long-term trend, over multiple decades, of velocity and spin increases that are highly correlated with arm injuries."

Cole, who is currently on the 60-day injured list due to nerve inflammation in his elbow, acknowledged that the league didn't do anything "illegal" by adjusting the pitch clock although he believed that the health of players should be taken into account first and foremost.

"I think the players are obviously the most important aspect of this industry and this product and the care of the players should be of utmost importance to both sides," he said, via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press (h/t Yahoo Sports). "MLB did nothing illegal by pushing the pitch clock. They have unilateral rights to create whatever rule they wanted to."

"I know it's not black and white like both of the statements," Cole added.

On Saturday, the Atlanta Braves announced that starter Spencer Strider underwent an MRI that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and has put his 2024 season in jeopardy.

Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber is also set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery after experiencing soreness and inflammation following his Opening Day start.