Cole pitched for 2 2/3 innings in his spring training start against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday and was blitzed for six runs and five hits.
Cole, 34, said that after the start, the elbow started to give him issues and he was concerned about what imaging on the elbow might show.
“We have an initial idea, but we’re going to wait to see exactly what everybody says before we come to our conclusion,” Cole said to MLB.com. “I’ve still got some hope. I’m still just waiting for the experts to weigh in.”
Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, didn’t make his first start last season until June due to an elbow injury. He ended up going 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
