(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees shut down their ace Gerrit Cole for the next 1-2 months.
However, that timeline could change for the worse, not for the better, as he still has an important appointment with top sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in the upcoming days.
The most concerning development is that there is still no clear diagnosis.
Several doctors looked at Cole’s MRI and other tests, and while none saw an UCL tear in his elbow, there is enough concern that they sent the pitcher to meet Dr. ElAttrache just to be sure.
Dr. ElAttrache could determine that there is no tear and nothing to be concerned about, sure.
Or, he could spot other things that may extend Cole’s absence.
In that sense, Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports and family medicine physician, reminded fans on Twitter that there are still things to discover regarding Cole’s injury status.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole
Right elbow injury
He is expect to miss at at least one-to-two months per @JonHeyman
What do we know?
There reportedly is NOT a tear in his UCL, but there is enough concern for him to fly to LA to get evaluated by
Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Here’s how… pic.twitter.com/cMCHCZJvyx
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) March 13, 2024
He talked about the different scenarios that could potentially take place, including a flexor muscle strain, bone spurs, a “small tear in the anterior bundle of the UCL that may not warrant surgery (primary repair or Tommy John surgery) but should get PRP or stem cells,” or a small tear in the posterior bundle, among others.
Morse believes that there are three possible scenarios once Dr. ElAttrache takes a live look at the patient:
“I think at this time there’s 3 realistic possibilities: 1. Misses 4-6 weeks, best case scenario with no injury to the ligament or flexor muscles (forearm). 2. Shut down until the All-Star break with moderate damage but none requiring surgery. 3. Worse case scenario would be he requires surgery, whether primary repair (see Lucas Giolito) and return in early 2025, or Tommy John surgery and likely miss most of 2025 as well,” he said.
For those who think the Yankees and Cole are out of the woods, the evidence does not say that’s the case.
At least not yet.
The post Doctor Expresses Concern Over Gerrit Cole’s True Status appeared first on The Cold Wire.