TAMPA — The news didn’t take long to spread back to Tampa after Aaron Boone said in Clearwater, Fla. that Gerrit Cole would be getting an MRI exam on his right elbow on Monday, with another important member of the rotation calling the situation surrounding the Yankees ace “alarming.”
“He’s the reigning Cy Young winner,” Nestor Cortes said of the 33-year-old Cole, who won his first Cy Young Award last season. “He’s a big part of this rotation. It’s tough to hear.”
So instead of pitching as scheduled on Tuesday, Cole will instead likely get more information regarding his elbow, which Boone said had not been responding as well as it normally does between outings this time of year.
Cortes, whose locker at Steinbrenner Field is situated a short distance from Cole’s, said he had been aware of something going on with the right-hander.
“I know he’s been dealing with some stuff, as every pitcher is during spring training,’’ Cortes said at GMS. “I didn’t know how serious it was until now.”
Cole has been especially durable throughout his career, which makes the shutdown stand out even more.
At this point, though, the Yankees can only hold their breath and hope for the best.
“Hopefully it’s nothing bad,’’ said Cortes, who learned of Cole’s potential injury from seeing a news update on his phone and then on the TV in the Yankees’ clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field.
“Just maybe a little bit alarming and he gets over the hump and he’s good to go.”
Cortes, who has dealt with his own health issues, said he’s turned to Cole for advice about how to deal with throwing more innings from year-to-year.
“He’s so aware of his body,’’ Cortes said. “He knows what he’s doing in and out throughout the whole year. Even speaking to him in the past offseasons, when my workload has gone overboard or more than what I’m used to, I’ll speak to him about what the offseason looks like and how I’m supposed to be and how to come into spring training. He has a good idea of how his body feels and this is something he’s trying to get ahead of. Obviously, it’s alarming for everybody. Hopefully it’s nothing.”