Cole, Giolito have elbow injuries
The topic before, during and after the spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on Wednesday revolved around ailing right elbows.
For Boston, the news wasn’t a complete surprise with righty Lucas Giolito likely done for the season following surgery. It wasn’t the Tommy John version, though, which could mean a quicker return.
For New York, things remain uncertain as ace Gerrit Cole continues to undergo tests on his elbow after experiencing issues in bouncing back following spring training starts. He flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday to see special Dr. Neal Elattrache.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t want to speculate on the extent of the injury in an interview during a 9-4 loss to the Red Sox. He didn’t have a timeline after the game, either.
“I understand it’s Gerrit Cole and it’s a big story,” Boone said. “But I’m not going to jump to a conclusion or speculate. We’re still in the gathering of information, and then everyone’s got to weigh in to determine what exactly we have.”
Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, has been throwing fewer pitches in his spring training starts this year than other rotation members. The 33-year-old had an MRI exam on Monday and followed that up on Tuesday with X-rays and a CT scan.
“As much as it sounds crazy, you try not to get ahead of yourself too much with things especially when you don’t know things,” Boone said.
The Red Sox announced before their game that Giolito underwent ulnar collateral ligament repair surgery Tuesday with an internal brace on his right elbow. The typical recovery from the internal brace surgery, which uses an artificial material to make the repair, has allowed pitchers to return to the major leagues in as little as nine months. With Tommy John surgery, where a tendon replaces a torn ligament, it can require a rehab period of 12 to 18 months.
SOURCE: PADRES ACQUIRE RHP DYLAN CEASE>> The San Diego Padres acquired right-hander Dylan Cease in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for reliever Steven Wilson and three prospects: right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte, and outfielder Samuel Zavala.
Cease, who turned 28 in December, was second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA last year for a White Sox team that went 61-101.
He agreed in January to an $8 million, one-year contract and is eligible for free agency after the 2025 World Series.
Cease is 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA in 123 major league starts over five seasons, striking out 792 and walking 79 in 658 innings. He has a 2.16 ERA over 8 1/3 innings in three spring training starts this year.
He averaged 95.6 mph with his fastball last season, throwing it on 43% of his pitches. He also throws a slider (39%), curveball (15%) and splitter (3%).
Cease joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove.
RODÓN’S OUTING>> The only hit allowed by lefty Carlos Rodón over four innings against Boston was a homer. After retiring his first 10 batters, Rodón gave up a 421-foot drive by Triston Casas. He struck out three over a 68-pitching outing that featured improved fastball velocity reaching 97 mph.
“Today I got to build some confidence, Rodón said.
Rodón had allowed three homers over 5 2/3 innings in his previous two springtraining starts. He is scheduled to start the Yankees’ second regular season game Mar. 29 at Houston.
SEOUL BOUND>> Los Angeles Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out the side in the first against Seattle before allowing four runs over 4 2/3 innings. That’s quite a way to finish up his time in spring training in Arizona.
The Dodgers are soon off to Seoul, South Korea, for their opener against San Diego on March 20.
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers will face the Kiwoom Heroes in an exhibition Sunday, while South Korea takes on the Padres. San Diego plays the LG Twins in another exhibition Monday and South Korea plays the Dodgers.
Then, it’s the real thing, with games next Wednesday and Thursday. Game 1 is slated to see LA’S Tyler Glasnow and San Diego’s Yu Darvish take the mound. In Game 2, Yamamoto, fresh off signing a $325 million, 12-year contract, will start. Joe Musgrove goes for the Padres.
FOR OPENERS>> In a post on social media, lefty José Quintana invited all New York Mets fans to come watch him pitch after he received the opening day start against Milwaukee on March 28. Quintana went 3-6 with a 3.57 ERA last season for New York.
BO KNOWS HONORS>> Bo Jackson was elected to the Kansas City Royals’ Hall of Fame. The team announced that on June 29, the baseball/football standout will be honored in an on-field ceremony before the team plays Cleveland.
He played five seasons with Kansas City, making an All-star team in 1989. In all, Jackson was in the big leagues for eight years, including stints with the Chicago White Sox and the California Angels.