Yankees GM ‘prepared for the worst’ with Gerrit Cole’s elbow

JUPITER, Fla. — The day after a grim Gerrit Cole expressed “concern” over his ailing right elbow, GM Brian Cashman also didn’t sound too optimistic as the Yankees await a course of action for their $324 million ace.

Neither Cole nor the Yankees have publicly revealed what exactly is wrong with his elbow. But they clearly have an idea after Friday’s MRI, despite him still seeking further opinions on a prognosis, this his second major elbow problem in the past year. Cole was shut down midway through spring training last March and missed the first 2 1/2 months of the regular season with elbow inflammation. The fact that it’s back again appears ominous.

“I’m prepared for the worst,” Cashman said before Sunday’s game against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. “But we’ll see how it plays out. I’m always wired to think the worst and hope for the best, but we’ll see. Give him a chance to walk through all this stuff. Time will tell.”

Cole struck a similar tone Saturday morning at Steinbrenner Field, describing how the pain seemingly came out of nowhere after Thursday’s start, keeping him awake that night. When Cole woke up, the way his elbow felt was “alarming.”

“I think last year was very emotional [for him] because it was a whole new experience,” Cashman said. “Now it’s not as emotional because he’s walked this line already, so I think he’s mentally more prepared to deal with it … and that’s even the worst-case scenario.

“He’s already had a lot of conversations, a lot of engagement with doctors and lived through this last year. So I think it’s less of an emotional shock this year and now more about what needs to be done here. What’s the best route for him and us.”