"Delaying the inevitable" - Yankees fans on the fence despite Gerrit Cole reportedly avoiding Tommy John surgery

New York Yankees fans were left disappointed after they heard that their star pitcher, Gerrit Cole, felt discomfort in his throwing arm just weeks before the start of the regular season. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the reigning AL Cy Young winner will undergo an MRI to assess the damage.

According to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, there was no tear reported on the MRI but there was inflammation/soreness in his right elbow. Moreover, he mentioned that Cole wanted to have a deeper look at it as reports of him visiting renowned sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

In a recent update by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the pitcher will be able to return to the mound in about 10–12 weeks, per Dr. ElAttrache. This quashed the initial reports that suggested Cole undergo Tommy John surgery.

However, fans believed that, one way or another, Gerrit Cole would have to go for Tommy John's surgery and that he was just 'delaying the inevitable':

"Delaying the inevitable," one fan said.

Here are a few other fan reactions on X:

Do Yankees need to go back to market for a starting pitcher, amid Gerrit Cole's uncertain future?

Despite a welcoming report from Bob Nightengale, the New York Yankees will still be without the services of Gerrit Cole for the first two months. He is not expected to return before 10-12 weeks and adding the buildup, rest assured Cole won't be on the mound before July.

This could wake the Yankees' front office to get the required pieces to fill Cole's shoes. The likes of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Michael Lorenzen are rumored to be looked at by the front office.

The current Yankees rotation now falls on the shoulders of Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes Jr., Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman and Clayton Beeter.

The Yankees were poised to have a good season, with a healthy Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, but Gerrit Cole's recent update could put them at a disadvantage in the stacked AL East division.