Yankees’ Gerrit Cole ‘Feels Good’ Despite Calf Injury That Caused Exit vs. Rangers

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole didn’t experience any further issues after cramping in his right calf ended his start against the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

“I really don’t have a great answer for it, but it feels good today,” Cole said on Tuesday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

The 33-year-old exited New York’s 8-4 victory over Texas just before he was set to pitch the seventh inning due to his calf issue.

Cole looked sharp through his six innings of work, recording nine strikeouts compared to just one walk. He allowed four hits and one earned run, throwing 82 pitches. The Yankees led 7-1 when he left the contest.

With a potentially disastrous injury seemingly avoided, Cole is currently scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday (via ESPN).

The Yankees are in the middle of a close battle for the AL East lead, sitting 0.5 games above the Baltimore Orioles with a record of 80-58. New York can’t afford to lose Cole for another extended period of time, as he missed the first 75 games of the season due to right elbow inflammation.

Even though his 2024 debut was delayed until June 19, the right-hander has started to look like his former self after winning the first Cy Young Award of his career in 2023.

Over his last six starts, Cole has a 3-1 record to go along with a 1.85 ERA. He’s racked up 40 strikeouts against 11 walks in 34 innings, holding opposing batters to a .214 average.

The Yankees will be getting some rotation help soon, as Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are returning from the injured list to start in the team’s upcoming series against the Cubs (via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).

With Cole’s calf feeling better, New York should have a much healthier rotation moving forward as the team attempts to secure its second division crown in three seasons.