BRADENTON, Fla. — Gerrit Cole’s long road back to the Yankees from season-ending elbow surgery will begin on Tuesday night.
Cole was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Dr. Neal ElAttrache was set to perform the procedure.
While the Yankees haven’t announced that the right-hander successfully had the procedure as of late Tuesday night, general manager Brian Cashman confirmed those plans while speaking during the Yankees’ split squad loss to the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field earlier in the afternoon.
“I have not gotten any of the results of how the surgery has gone,” Cashman said, “but obviously he’s having it today.”
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This process with Cole has been nothing but bad news for the Yankees. They’re already down Luis Gil (high-grade lat strain) to start the season and losing Cole creates another glaring hole within what was supposed to be an elite staff.
But Cashman did hint at some potential good news.
The GM said that it’s possible Cole will have the newer version of Tommy John surgery with an internal brace.
That’s a technique designed to shorten recovery time. Typically a pitcher needs 12 to 18 months to return from this procedure. It takes less time for a position player as the Yankees experienced recently with top prospect Jasson Domínguez, who had the internal brace method in his elbow reconstruction. Fellow Yankees outfield prospect Everson Pereira also underwent the internal brace procedure last year.
“We’re gonna wait and find out when they open him up,” Cashman said.
Either way, Cole will miss all of this season. The newer internal brace technique would just get him back to the rotation earlier in 2026, if all goes according to plan.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the game,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Tuesday’s loss to Baltimore in Tampa. “There’s no sugarcoating the fact what Gerrit means to our team and what he has meant to our team. So it’s a big loss, but it’s also a big opportunity for someone and we’ll get through it, and support Gerrit as he now goes through the rehab process, but nothing changes for us as far as expectations, it’s just gonna come in a different way.”
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