Yankees' Gerrit Cole won't be ready to start Opening Day

DUNEDIN, Fla. – There was no further public news on Tuesday regarding the MRI Gerrit Cole had on his right elbow Monday morning.

But regardless of those results – and Cole was sent Tuesday for additional testing – Aaron Boone acknowledged the obvious regarding the club’s ace: he won’t be ready for Opening Day in Houston.

“You can do the timelines,” Boone said late Tuesday morning before the Yankees fell to the Blue Jays, 8-1, at TD Ballpark. “It would be difficult.”

And for that reason, the Yankees have already started internal discussions on who will take the mound against the Astros March 28 at Minute Maid Park.

“I should have something on that for you probably in the next couple days,” Boone said.

Though Boone didn’t mention any names, the safe bet is on Marcus Stroman getting the Opening Day assignment, especially with Carlos Rodon’s struggles early this spring.

“He’s obviously coming off a difficult year,” Boone said of Rodon. “The reason I’m optimistic [for a rebound season] is just the work he’s put in this winter and this spring and just the fact he’s in a way better place physically and mentally than he was at any time last year. But he’s one of those guys that’s gotta go out there and show us, show the world, show himself that he’s ready for this.”

Cole was ready from the start of the 2023 season, one that ended with him winning the American League Cy Young Award.

There were no outward signs of trouble in his first two outings this spring – March 1 against the Blue Jays and then last Thursday in a live batting practice session.

“I didn’t see anything that was a red flag,” said one rival AL talent evaluator in attendance at Cole’s spring debut. “Was [sitting] around 96 with the fastball, looked like everything was coming out pretty easy.”

But behind the scenes, Cole expressed issues in his “recovery” after both of those outings.

“He described it as 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 said Monday in Clearwater after announcing Cole was sent for the MRI. “When he’s throwing 45 and 55 [pitches], he usually doesn’t have the recovery issues he’s having . . . It’s just been more of a challenge and more taxing, so we’re going to get an MRI just to see what we’re dealing with there.”

Cole threw 39 pitches March 1 and built to 47 pitches in the live BP. Even with the best-case scenario of the testing showing nothing, the calendar won’t allow him to build up to the 90-100 pitches he would need to be at by the time of the opener.

The immediate concern for the Yankees, who have stayed engaged with the White Sox regarding available starter Dylan Cease (them signing either Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery remains highly unlikely), is what the MRI, and any subsequent tests, show or don’t show.

“It’s still probably going to be a couple of days before everyone [doctors, staff, etc.] weighs in on it,” Boone said of when the Yankees, who already have the results of Monday’s MRI, will announce a diagnosis. “We’ll see and hope for the best.”