New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent an MRI on his pitching elbow after allowing six runs in his most recent start. Cole and the Yankees have received the initial results of that MRI but are seeking out second opinions. Cole told reporters that he is concerned about his elbow.

“I’m hoping for the best,” Cole told Bryan Hoch on Saturday. “In the game, there was a lot of good stuff happening the other day, but as I got home, I just continued to get more and more sore. Something wasn’t right.”

The 34-year-old right-hander also dealt with elbow issues last spring – a nerve issue specifically that delayed his first start of the 2024 regular season until June 19. Cole last season went on to make 17 starts, and over that span, he pitched to a 121 ERA+ and a 3.41 K/BB ratio – good results but hardly vintage Cole. In 2023, Cole won the AL Cy Young Award with a dominant campaign. At this point, the expectation has to be that Cole will miss time, but how much time is unknown at this juncture.

Additionally, the Yankees are facing the loss of Cole’s rotation-mate Luis Gil, who is sidelined until at least late May or early June with a lat strain. The Yankees are coming off a 2024 season in which they won both the American League East title and the pennant, falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Aaron Boone’s club is aiming to win the division again in 2025 despite losing outfielder Juan Soto to the crosstown New York Mets in free agency.