New York Yankees Hit by Pitching Curse Again, Is 2023 Repeating Itself Amidst Gerrit Cole’s Injury Scare?

Baseball is a sport filled with curses – the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs had one. However, while those curses have ended, the New York Yankees might have found a curse of their own. Initially, one didn’t believe much in the pitcher’s curse but the injury scare of Gerrit Cole and the unsatisfactory form of their other pitchers has left a giant question mark. Did someone put 2023 on the loop again?

As one remembers, in 2023, the Yankees had the most nightmarish starts to any season. Eight of their players were on the injury list, the majority being pitchers. The scary Yankees lineup entered the season barely able to support itself. While things aren’t bad to that extent yet, the Bronx Bombers still have a few big reasons to worry about.

According to MLB.com, two Yankees pitchers will miss the Opening Day on March 28 – Gerrit Cole and Tommy Kahnle. The loss of Cole is perhaps the most unexpected and threatening. Out of all the players, it was Cole who had no peer in the Yankees’ lineup. The Cy Young winner was the one who was supposed to lead their struggling lineup until it found some stability. 

However, his elbow discomfort has made it quite likely that Cole won’t be on the field on March 28. Similarly, the reliever Tommy Kahnle’s shoulder has troubled him since September. The pitcher said on March 6 that he does not expect to pitch until the first of the regular season. So an opening day nod looks quite unlikely.

But while injuries have made things difficult, the bad form of Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes Jr. doesn’t help the Yankees’ cause. The Spring Training has shown that Rodon still hasn’t found control in his fastball. Similarly, Cortes is still trying to build up fitness. So the Yankees’ pitching staff is standing on shaky ground. Something eerily similar to 2023.

The New York Yankees – the more the things change, the more they stay the same

During Spring Training of 2023, five Yankees pitchers found themselves on the injury list. Headed by Carlos Rodon, the likes of Luis Severino, Tommy Kahnle, Lou Trivino, and Frankie Montas all were unable to play in the opening day. There were Luis Gil and Scott Effross as well who had undergone the Tommy John surgery and so were unable to play.

This led to a huge crisis for the Bombers and they couldn’t quite recover from it. While 2024 isn’t as bad as now, the Yankees aren’t entering on a good footing again. With bad form and injuries affecting their roster again, one wonders if a repeat of 2023 is in order. A curse to start the season – quite a nightmare for the Bronx faithful.

Read more: Before Latest Scare, Revisiting 5 Injuries From Gerrit Cole’s Stellar MLB Run