Yankees’ pitcher ‘trending toward’ needing Tommy John surgery

New York Yankees pitcher Jake Cousins is dealing with an elbow injury. Although it isn’t guaranteed as of this story’s writing, Tommy John surgery is increasingly becoming a likely option, something Aaron Boone recently told reporters.

“Jake Cousins is still waiting on opinions, but Aaron Boone said it is trending toward Tommy John surgery,” Bryan Hoch of MLB.com wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The Yankees and Cousins would obviously love to avoid Tommy John surgery if possible. If he ends up having to undergo surgery, Cousins will miss all of 2025 and most of 2026 at the very least. With that being said, the team also wants Cousins to have the best possibility of pitching at full health once again, and the surgery would play a pivotal role in helping that come to fruition.

Cousins spent the first three years of his big league career in Milwaukee with the Brewers before joining New York in 2024. Cousins made a strong first impression, pitching to a 2.37 ERA across 37 games out of the Yankees’ bullpen. He also appeared in six games during the 2024 postseason.

However, Cousins has yet to pitch during the ’25 campaign due to the aforementioned elbow injury. As mentioned, the right-handed hurler is waiting on opinions. It seems as if Tommy John surgery is a serious possibility for him, though.

It’s a difficult update for Cousins and the Yankees. New York has certainly felt the effects of the injury bug in 2025. Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery before the regular season while Giancarlo Stanton has yet to play in a game due to injury. The good news is that Stanton will return soon, but injuries have still factored into the team’s campaign without question.

Yet, the Bronx Bombers still lead the American League East, holding a 42-26 record heading into Saturday night’s contest against the Boston Red Sox.