Cole scratched from start against Phillies with fatigue
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PHILADELPHIA – The Yankees scratched Gerrit Cole from his scheduled start against the Phillies on Tuesday night due to what the club described as “general body fatigue,” with the right-hander explaining that he has had difficulty bouncing back from his most recent start.
Cole last pitched on July 24 against the Mets at Yankee Stadium, when he was hammered for six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Cole said that he is “very fatigued” and “grinding a little bit,” while Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Cole has also been dealing with a stomach virus.
“It’s just about putting a little more gas in the tank and being in a good position to take the ball next time and the time after that,” Cole said before Tuesday's game at Citizens Bank Park. “I really think that was the point of the decision.”
No tests are scheduled for Cole, who is targeting this weekend’s series against the Blue Jays for his return to the rotation. He said that he was able to throw between starts, though he planned to take Tuesday off.
In Cole’s place, right-hander Will Warren was summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make his big league debut.
“[Cole] hasn’t recovered great this time through, and had a stomach bug there for a few days,” Boone said. “Add it all up, and I think he’s just a little bit worn down. Especially with some of these off-days and Warren lined up, we felt it was best to push it back a few days. We’ll see what we have the next couple of days and hopefully get him back in there this weekend.”
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The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Cole didn't make his season debut until June 19 after dealing with a right elbow injury to begin the season. The 33-year-old has posted a 3-2 record with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP, striking out 38 over 35 innings.
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“Look, I’m still [seven] starts into this season for me,” Cole said. “Everyone else is in the middle of it all. I feel different than other people. Maybe we all go through this at the beginning of the season or other different parts of the season. But we don’t always have an opportunity to just push it back and get a few extra days.”
Rated by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees’ No. 7 prospect, the 25-year-old Warren has gone 5-5 with a 6.11 ERA over 20 starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, striking out 115 over 95 2/3 innings.
“He’s a confident kid,” Boone said. “We love his makeup, we love his stuff. He’s had some bumps in the road this year, but he’s also dominated a lot of outings, too. He has the equipment to go out there and be successful.”