New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will miss his next start and won’t return for at least a week.
New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone broke the unfortunate news in his postgame press conference following the Yankees’ 7-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
Several sources reported Cole’s positive test, including Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
Gerrit Cole has tested positive for the coronavirus, Aaron Boone says. #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 3, 2021
Gerrit Cole is in the second year of a nine-year, $324 million contract he signed prior to last season. He is the unquestioned ace of the New York Yankees’ pitching staff and leads the AL with 176 strikeouts. Cole is 10-6 with a 3.14 ERA this season and just came off his worst start of the year, in which he allowed seven earned runs in 5.1 innings at Tampa Bay.
It is not yet clear who will start in Cole’s place, but Nestor Cortes is the most likely candidate.
Stay tuned to ESNY for more updates.
