New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been shut down and is scheduled to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for further testing on his right elbow, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
Manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday ruled Cole out for Opening Day. He is expected to begin the season on the injured list.
Cole underwent an MRI on the elbow in Florida earlier in the week after reporting “discomfort.” Boone told reporters the right-hander did not bounce back as expected between outings.
“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,” Boone told reporters. “When he’s at 45 [pitches] and building to 55, he usually doesn’t have the recovery issues he’s having.
“I think there’s a level of discomfort, but I wouldn’t describe it as he’s in pain.”
Cole, 33, was slated to make his second spring training start Tuesday. He gave up three runs over two-plus innings in his first outing March 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He threw 47 pitches across three innings in a simulated game facing Yankees hitters six days later. He did not report any discomfort when he talked with reporters afterward.
Cole previously landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation in September 2016 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reigning Cy Young Award winner is in the fifth year of a nine-year, $324 million contract.
The New York Post earlier reported Cole’s scheduled visit to ElAttrache.