The pitching staffs of traditional rivals New York and Boston are facing setbacks as the regular season draws near.
Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his right elbow after encountering difficulties in his recovery following spring training outings. Meanwhile, Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday, leaving his return date uncertain.
Both Cole and Giolito have established themselves as durable pitchers over their careers. Cole, the reigning 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, has logged at least 30 starts in each of the last six full regular seasons. On the other hand, Giolito, 29, who recently inked a $38.5 million, two-year deal with the Red Sox, has pitched over 160 innings in five of the last six seasons.
Despite the Yankees taking a cautious approach with Cole this spring by limiting his pitch count in outings, the 33-year-old reported experiencing more fatigue than usual between starts.
“His recovery, leading into his next start, has been more akin to what he feels in the season when he’s making 100 pitches,” explained Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Monday. “It’s been more of a challenge, more taxing. So we’re going to get an MRI to see what we’re dealing with here.”
Cole, in the fifth season of his $324 million, nine-year contract, holds the right to opt-out after the season. However, if he does, the Yankees have the option to retain him by adding a guaranteed $36 million salary for 2029.
As for Giolito, discomfort in his elbow emerged after a spring training appearance on March 1. Following a second opinion from Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas in Alabama, Giolito opted for surgery, the details of which remain uncertain.
“Lucas is having surgery tomorrow. The extent of it, we don’t know yet. We know it’s with the ligament,” stated Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “So we’ll know more tomorrow when they go in. The type of surgery, we don’t know yet.”
