Yankees Get Concerning Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge Injury Updates

The start of the 2024 MLB season is just over two weeks away. The New York Yankees, once again, boast an absolutely stacked roster, leaving fans hoping that this season is the one where the Bronx Bombers finally win a World Series title for the first time since the 2009 campaign.

But as the Yankees continue to progress through spring training, health has been an issue concerning two of the club's biggest stars: Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge. While fans hope to see the duo fully healthy in time for Opening Day, the latest injury updates regarding the pair are concerning.

Yankees News: Gerrit Cole Injury Update

Cole was supposed to pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, but that's no longer the case. Yankees insider Bryan Hoch reports that the reigning AL Cy Young winner will be temporarily sidelined as he undergoes MRI testing on his pitching elbow.

An elbow issue has held Cole to just one start so far in spring training. He looked terrible in that lone appearance as he surrendered three earned runs and a homer on four hits across just two innings of work while tallying only one strikeout against the Blue Jays on March 1.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Monday that Cole has been having "recovery issues" and that the ace is dealing with "discomfort" more than pain.

"[Cole] usually doesn't have the recovery issues he's having. 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."

- Aaron Boone on Gerrit Cole

Any time that a pitcher is dealing with an elbow-related injury, fans typically fear three words: Tommy John surgery. Hopefully, that isn't the case for Cole as the procedure would sideline him into 2025.

Assuming the situation isn't that serious, Cole will be playing in the fifth year of the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed back in 2019. He proved he was worth every penny in 2023 as he went 15-4 across 33 starts while leading the American League in winning percentage, ERA, innings pitched, WHIP, and hits per nine innings.

If Cole misses a lot of time, it'll be interesting to see if the Yankees opt to pursue free-agent aces like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

Yankees News: Aaron Judge Injury Update

Unfortunately, the update regarding Judge won't make Yankees fans feel much better.

Boone also told reporters that the 31-year-old slugger is "mid-spring beat up" and likely won't play again until Wednesday at the earliest. Although the Yankees' bench boss didn't clarify any further, it's clear that Judge isn't playing at 100%.

On one hand, the fact that Judge doesn't need an MRI like Cole is a good sign. On the other hand, "mid-spring beat up" doesn't exactly describe what's going on and it's only bound to make some of the fanbase worry even more.

The five-time MLB All-Star selection's lackluster spring play has led to many fans being concerned about his health. In 16 plate appearances so far this spring, Judge has only tallied two hits, one RBI, and five strikeouts while slashing .143/.250/.214. Even though it's "only" spring training, you never want to see an output like that from your best player.

Since his rise to superstardom began in 2017, Judge leads the majors with 253 home runs, which is 23 more than second-place Matt Olsen and Kyle Schwarber despite playing at least 80 fewer games than the pair. With that in mind, it's easy to see why the Yankees could be in trouble if the California native is forced to miss time.

Hopefully, Judge's issue isn't anything serious and he can return to his ball-crushing ways soon. The Yankees need him to capitalize on their +1000 odds to win the 2024 World Series (4th) on FanDuel Sportsbook. If you want to take advantage of these odds, head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and claim your sign-up bonus.

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