Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole Injuries An Ominous Sign For Yankees Season

The New York Yankees entered spring training with sky-high expectations after making one of the biggest moves of the MLB offseason. 

After surprisingly struggling on offense in 2023, the Yankees added superstar outfielder Juan Soto, sending prospects and pitcher Michael King to the San Diego Padres. Soto brings to the Bronx an impressive offensive track record, including a 158 OPS+ in 2023. Though his offensive profile may not actually be the best fit for Yankee Stadium. 

READ: What Happens If Juan Soto Struggles In New York?

Soto has been expected to combine with American League home run champion Aaron Judge, infielder Gleyber Torres and ace Gerrit Cole to get New York back to the postseason. Except with the regular season just a few weeks away, there's already concerning signs for two of the team's most important players.

Judge underwent an MRI on Monday after experiencing what's described as abdominal discomfort. Though he downplayed the severity, Judge admitted to the media that his mechanics have been "messed up" after recovering from the toe injury he suffered last season.

"I think just from swinging from November all the way until now, every single day, it put some wear and tear on it," Judge said. "Especially coming back after a [right big] toe injury when your mechanics are a little messed up and you’re just working on some things.

That's not encouraging for one of the game's best players, and it doesn't even touch on what's happening with Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.

Mar 1, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA;  New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge Both Facing Uncertainty

Cole and the Yankees recently revealed that he's been battling elbow soreness, with manager Aaron Boone explaining that Cole was having difficulty recovering from shorter stints.

"He described it as his recovery before getting to his next start has been more akin to what he feels during the season when he’s making 100 pitches," Boone said according to MLB.com.

There's nothing more ominous as a fan than hearing your favorite team's star pitcher is battling arm, especially elbow, issues. All too often, those issues turn into surgery, and with elbow injuries, that surgery is usually Tommy John, requiring a 12-16 month recovery process.

For now, the Yankees acknowledged it seems unlikely Cole starts on Opening Day, with results from testing to determine the severity still a few days away. All the sudden, what seemed to be one of baseball's best teams is facing a whole lot of uncertainty.

What Happens To Yankees' Season If Judge And Cole Miss Time?

The Yankees have one of the most top heavy teams in baseball; Judge, Cole and Soto are as good as anyone's top three, but the depth behind them is severely lacking compared to other rosters.

In the rotation, Carlos Rodon is trying to rebound from an atrocious 2023, Nestor Cortes battled injuries, while Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman aren't exactly terrifying for opposing rosters.

Anthony Rizzo and DJ LaMahieu's best years are behind them, with Giancarlo Stanton also declining and a constant injury risk himself. Anthony Volpe showed flashes of brilliance, especially defensively, but had a woeful .283 on base percentage last season. 

If Judge and Cole miss significant time, the Yankees go from being co-favorites to win the East with the Baltimore Orioles to a team much closer to the 82-80 record of 2023. No one yet knows how severe Cole's arm injury is, or whether or not Judge's abdominal pain will linger. But any prolonged absence would be devastating to their projections for 2024. And with Soto a Scott Boras-represented free agent, it could be a disappointingly short stint in New York.

Any team would find it hard to replace superstars like Judge and Cole. The Yankees perhaps even more so, given weaknesses elsewhere. If you're a Yankees fan, it's time to start hoping hard that they don't have to.