The New York Yankees cannot afford to lose starter Gerrit Cole, and they received a scare on Tuesday.
Greg Joyce from the New York Post reported that Cole had been scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday, with Will Warren taking his place. Chris Kirschner from The Athletic added that Cole had not recovered well from his previous outing but expects to take his next turn through the rotation.
Cole had missed significant time this season due to a right elbow injury. He made his 2024 debut on June 19, pitching four innings as he was eased back into action. Cole was finally removed from a pitch count on July 19, eclipsing 100 pitches for the first time this season.
His performance has not been up to his usual standards thus far. Cole has posted a 5.40 ERA and a 1.457 WHIP over his 35 innings, striking out 38 batters with 15 walks. However, it is a small sample size and Cole was still building himself back up.
Cole’s statement that he expects to make his next start mitigates what could have been a disaster for the Yankees. They are in a win-now mode, making deals with an eye to bringing a World Series back to the Bronx. Part of that equation could involve dealing one of their starters as the Yankees had reportedly been dangling Nestor Cortes in trade talks. If Cole needed another stint on the injured list, that plan would have come to an end.
An injury would have also put pressure on the Yankees to add a top of the rotation arm ahead of the deadline. Garrett Crochet is off the table as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees were told they “don’t match up” in a trade. The Orioles added Trevor Rogers and Zach Eflin; losing Cole would have forced the Yankees to make a move to keep pace. Instead, the Yankees can breathe easier as their ace should be ready to go for his next scheduled start.