Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Giancarlo Stanton have more in common than just being solid players for the New York Yankees—they’re all injured, oops. Falling into an unlucky pattern, the Yankees’ top players have been sidelined and placed on the Injured List. Now, no one wants to start their season on that list! And the Yankees management is not enjoying this either. This makes their Opening Day roster seem weak. Well, what went wrong with the Yankees star? Cole struggled with elbow problems last season too, but he made a strong comeback playing through to the very end. 

However, discomfort during the Yankees Spring Training forced Cole to take a different approach this time—the Tommy John Surgery. It has been confirmed that Gerrit Cole will undergo surgery. With less than three weeks until the 2025 season begins, the Yankees and their fans must face this unlucky reality.

Ben Verlander shared bold thoughts on Yankees’ situation 

In the recent episode of Flippin Bats, Ben Verlander, brother of Giants pitcher, Justin Verlander, had a lot to say about the Yankees’ injuries struggle. Ben said, “You do not trade your entire farm system for a top tier starting pitcher. You laid your bed this offseason, now it is time to lay in it. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”  According to Verlander, the Yankees took a step back this off season. Leaving it at a place where even if they got one player injured in the pitching rotation, they will be in serious trouble.

“If this offense loses a guy like Giancarlo Stanton, you’re in big trouble. If everyone in the world is possibly healthy then yeah, they could be a World Series team,” Verlander added. So can the Bronx Bombers survive without their star players? Probably—but it won’t be easy. It’s a tough situation, made even worse by Luis Gil, a promising second-year pitcher, getting sidelined for at least two months with a lat injury. So, who’s going to step up?  

If Gerrit Cole’s out, then who’s in?

To give you an idea of how crazy things are, veteran pitcher Marcus Stroman showed up to camp upset that he didn’t have a guaranteed spot in the rotation. And now, it looks like he’ll be starting on Opening Day. That’s how quickly the tables have turned! Alright, let’s not feel too sorry for the Yankees. Their rotation still kicks off with $380 million worth of left-handed talent, thanks to their huge $218 million investment in Max Fried this offseason.  

The Yankees aren’t exactly lacking in talent—they just don’t have any room for mistakes. Fried has settled in nicely with the team and seems ready to take his game to the next level. The pressure’s on now—he’s got to live up to those big expectations. Carlos Rodón’s inconsistency has followed him into his $162 million deal with the Yankees.  

After a solid 2024 – 32 starts with a 3.96 ERA – he now has to prove he can keep it going with consistent health and performance.  Then there’s Clarke Schmidt. He’s usually seen as a solid back-end option, but now, he’s the top right-hander in the rotation. His biggest challenge? Staying healthy and keeping up his production. In 2025, the Yankees might just roll with what they have, keeping things steady until Luis Gil returns.