Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole Not Throwing for 3-4 Weeks

Doctors have also discovered the source of Cole's elbow discomfort.

The New York Yankees may have discovered what exactly is wrong with Gerrit Cole.

Despite being sidelined for a month or two at minimum, doctors have determined that the superstar right-hander will not need Tommy John surgery, as no tears in the UCL have been detected.

According to reports from The Athletic's Chris Kirschner and beat writer Bryan Hoch, the source behind Cole's elbow discomfort is a combination of nerve inflammation and edema. He will be shut down for three to four weeks.

"I felt pretty good leaving the doctor," Cole said. "I think we determined that we just got a little too hot a little too quick this spring."

Another report from Hoch confirmed that Cole will not receive any PRP injections, with his treatment simply consisting of rest and recovery. He will also keep his arm active with pylo exercises and build up from there, although it is still too soon to pinpoint an exact return date.

Despite the lack of a scheduled return date, these are certainly positive developments in a very stressful injury saga for the Yankees. It appears that the Yankees may not be without the reigning AL Cy Young winner for too long, although they will still have to weather the storm of the early season without him.

Cole was originally scheduled to be the Yankees' Opening Day starter for the fifth consecutive year on March 28 against the Houston Astros; the Bronx Bombers have since pivoted to Nestor Cortes Jr. as the starter. Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman will start the second and third games of the season, respectively, while Stroman will start the Yankees' home opener on April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Without Cole, the Yankees currently have a four-man rotation of Cortes, Rodon, Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt; the team is looking for either a fifth starter to fortify the rotation's depth, or another ace-caliber pitcher to help ameliorate the loss of Cole.

But with the information of Cole's injury officially available, the Yankees can now guide him towards an optimal recovery path and have him ready to pitch when the games matter the most.