Report: Cole out at least 1-2 months with elbow injury

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, will miss at least one-to-two months due to an elbow injury, Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post report.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Wednesday that Cole is traveling to Los Angeles for an appointment with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

"He had the MRI, CT scans, and X-rays yesterday. Now he's flying to L.A. to see ElAttrache and more tests I believe tomorrow," Boone said, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "We're still in the gathering of information (stage) and then everyone's got to weigh in to determine what exactly we have."

There is some level of optimism regarding Cole's injury, as none of his tests this week showed a torn ulnar collateral ligament, according to Heyman and Sanchez. The MRI did show some elbow inflammation, however, leading Cole to request the in-person consultation with Dr. ElAttrache, a source told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

The Yankees reportedly still hope Cole can make it back by late May or early June, per Heyman and Sanchez. However, the team still doesn't have any official diagnosis beyond the inflammation or a firm timetable for his return, according to Newsday's Erik Boland.

Cole was shut down and sent for an initial MRI on Monday after he apparently wasn't recovering as quickly as usual following his throwing. In his lone Grapefruit League appearance this spring, he surrendered three earned runs with one strikeout in two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 33-year-old was the unanimous choice for last year's AL Cy Young after leading the Junior Circuit in ERA (2.63), WHIP (0.98), and innings (209) while also tallying 222 strikeouts and two shutouts.

This is the first major arm injury for Cole, who's been regarded as a workhorse for his entire career and has thrown at least 200 innings in five of the last seven seasons, including 209 last year. His most recent stint on the injured list came in September 2016, when his season ended early because of elbow inflammation.

Cole's absence leaves a glaring hole in New York's rotation to start the year. The Yankees have yet to name a replacement starter for Opening Day on March 28.

Yankees' projected Opening Day rotation

The injury may also spur the Yankees to bring in another top-tier arm from outside the organization. Shortly after news of Cole's initial MRI, reports indicated that the team made a new offer for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease. New York has also been repeatedly linked to reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who remains a free agent, over the course of the offseason and spring training.