Yankees hold off discussing condition of ace Cole’s elbow
TAMPA, FLA. » Yankees manager Aaron Boone held off discussing the condition of ace Gerrit Cole’s elbow, saying he and general manager Brian Cashman want to speak with the AL Cy Young Award winner before making any public comments.
The Yankees disclosed Monday that Cole was experiencing issues in bouncing back following spring training starts, and the 33-year-old right-hander traveled to Los Angeles to be examined by Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an elbow expert. Cole was traveling back to Tampa on Friday.
Boone did say Friday that Nestor Cortes will start the March 28 opener at Houston.
“It’s just a minor setback for him,” Cortes said of Cole.
Cole is entering the fifth season of a $324 million, nine-year contract that pays $36 million annually. He has the right to opt out after the season and become a free agent, but if he opts out the Yankees can void the opt-out by adding a guaranteed $36 million salary for 2029.
Center fielder Aaron Judge delayed his return to the lineup and won’t play Saturday. The 2022 AL MVP hasn’t played in a spring training game since Sunday and had an MRI of his abdomen the following day. He hit off a tee and took soft toss in an indoor cage on Friday.
“All I’ll say is, we’re feeling pretty good,” Judge said. “Like I said, the MRI came back clean. I think a lot of it was precautionary and no need to risk stuff in spring training. The main goal is to be game ready for opening day, so just going to work toward that.”
Jays’ Jansen has fracture
DUNEDIN, FLA. » Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen has a fractured bone in his right wrist and could miss opening day, manager John Schneider said Friday.
Jansen sustained the injury to the pisiform bone when he was hit by a 93.4 mph fastball from Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski on Wednesday.
Jansen, 28, hit .228 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 83 games last season.
Marmol gets extension
JUPITER, FLA. » Coming off a lastplace finish in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals displayed confidence in manager Oliver Marmol and announced a two-year contract extension through 2026.
“The most important thing for Oli, the coaches or players is to know that we stand behind them,” Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said Friday. “We believe in that, and to go into the season — what’s the phrase: the lame duck manager? — just seemed to be like the wrong strategy.”
The 37-year-old former Cardinals minor leaguer led the team to an NL Central title in his first season, winning 93 games in 2022 and becoming the youngest manager to reach the playoffs since a 31-yearold Lou Boudreau took Cleveland to the World Series in 1946. St. Louis went 71-91 last year.
Miracle Mets pitcher dies
NEW YORK » Jim McAndrew, who lost his major league debut to Bob Gibson in a 1968 spot start for the Mets when Nolan Ryan was called away to military duty, then beat Steve Carlton a month later for his first win, has died. He was 80.
McAndrew died Thursday at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center in Arizona after a brief illness, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Friday.
A right-hander at the back end of the Mets rotation from 1968-73, McAndrew started one of the most significant games in franchise history: a win over Montreal in September 1969 that put the long downtrodden team into first place for the first time in New York’s eight seasons.
He was 36-49 with four saves and a 3.65 ERA for the Mets in 105 starts and 41 relief appearances, then was traded to San Diego and went 1-4 with a 5.62 ERA in two starts and 13 relief appearances. That left his final big league record 37-53 with a 3.65 ERA.
Pirates and OF Taylor agree
PITTSBURGH » The Pittsburgh Pirates are bringing in veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor on a oneyear deal worth $4 million.
A person with knowledge of the agreement confirmed the move to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because it is pending a physical.
Taylor, who turns 33 this month, joins a team that is looking for help in right field as the season approaches. He hit .220 with 21 home runs and 53 RBIs last season while playing in Minnesota.