New York Yankees pitcher Jake Cousins’ season is over as he prepares to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters over the weekend that Cousins, who is currently in his second season with the Yankees, would likely need to undergo the major operation this week.
It is believed he will go under the knife on Wednesday, meaning he will not play for the team in 2025.
The 30-year-old, sidelined all season, made minor league rehab appearances on June 3 and 7 for High-A Hudson Valley and felt discomfort.
He first suffered a forearm strain as he geared up for the new season in Spring Training, before being placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain.
Having briefly paused his rehab schedule due to pectoral discomfort, Cousins struggled when he resumed his program after damaging his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, an injury which requires Tommy John surgery.
Recovery typically takes between 12 and 18 months for a full return to sport, though extra caution is often taken with baseball pitchers.
Two-way LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is only making his highly-anticipated return to the mound on Monday night after almost two years, having undergone the same surgery back in September 2023.
Cousins, who is a cousin of NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins, was traded to the Yankees by the Chicago White Sox last year.
Prior to his move to New York, the former Pennsylvania college star most notably spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
In better new for the Yankees, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is set to start against the Los Angeles Angels and bat fifth after missing their first 70 games because of inflammation in the tendons of both elbows.
Stanton was three for 11 with four RBIs in three rehab games last week with Double-A Somerset, an assignment cut short by rainy weather. He worked out Sunday at Yankee Stadium while New York were getting swept at Boston.
‘He feels good to go,’ Boone said. ‘Excited to get the big boy back.’
Stanton has not played a full season since 2018, the first year after the Yankees acquired him from the Miami Marlins. Entering Monday, he had missed 364 of 940 games (39 percent) since the beginning of the 2019 season.
