Gerrit Cole Injury: Won't be ready for Opening Day

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Thursday that Cole (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Cole had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March, so the expectation has been that he will begin the 2026 season on the injured list. The hope is that his absence will be brief, but a clearer picture of his timeline will be available at a later date. Cole has begun throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.