Nestor Cortes alarmed over ‘how serious’ Gerrit Cole injury is

TAMPA — The news didn’t take long to spread back to Steinbrenner Field after Aaron Boone said prior to the Yankees’ split-squad road game against the Phillies, that Gerrit Cole would be getting an MRI on his right elbow on Monday.

While the Yankees hold their collective breath waiting for the results, Nestor Cortes acknowledged what’s at stake, saying that the situation surrounding the team’s ace was “alarming.”

“He’s the reigning Cy Young winner,” Cortes said of Cole, who won his first Cy Young award last season. “He’s a big part of this rotation. It’s tough to hear.”

So instead of pitching as scheduled on Tuesday, Cole will instead likely get more information regarding his elbow, which Boone said had not been responding as well as it normally does between outings this time of year.

Cortes, whose locker in the home clubhouse at GMS Field is only a few stalls from Cole’s, said he had been aware of something going on with the right-hander.

“I know he’s been dealing with some stuff, as every pitcher is during spring training,’’ Cortes said at GMS Field. “I didn’t know how serious it was until now.”

Cole has been especially durable throughout his career, which makes the shutdown stand out even more.

At this point, though, the Yankees can only wait after what had been a quiet spring was jolted by the Cole news, as well as Aaron Judge being held out of games for two days because he was “beat up” physically, according to Boone.

“Obviously, it’s Gerrit Cole,’’ Boone said of the potential blow to the rotation.

“I’m just hopeful we get good results on Gerrit,’’ DJ LeMahieu said. “I haven’t heard anything about Judge and didn’t know he was banged up. We’re ready to start rolling and need those guys.”

Cortes said he learned of Cole’s potential injury from seeing a news update on his phone and then on the TV in the clubhouse.

He tried to remain optimistic, but it’s hard not to worry a bit when it’s your $324 million top of the rotation starter.

“Hopefully it’s nothing bad,’’ said “Just maybe a little bit alarming and he gets over the hump and he’s good to go.”

Cortes, who has dealt with his own health issues, said he’s turned to Cole for advice about how to deal with staying on the mound consistently from year-to-year. Cole has made at least 30 starts in each season since 2017, other than in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

“He’s so aware of his body,’’ Cortes said. “He knows what he’s doing in and out throughout the whole year. Even speaking to him in the past offseasons, when my workload has gone overboard or more than what I’m used to, I’ll speak to him about what the offseason looks like and how I’m supposed to be and how to come into spring training. He has a good idea of how his body feels and this is something he’s trying to get ahead of. Obviously, it’s alarming for everybody.”