New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone cannot provide two pieces of good news in a row. Last week he confirmed Giancarlo Stanton’s return to the batter’s box, but this weekend he confirmed that right-handed pitcher Jake Cousins will miss the rest of the 2025 season and possibly part of 2026 due to an ulnar collateral ligament injury, which requires Tommy John surgery.
Jake Cousins, who is currently in his second season with the Yankees, will undergo surgery no later than Wednesday, June 18, meaning he will miss the rest of the year. However, rehabilitation and recovery from a ligament injury has a minimum time frame of 10 months, so the Yankees will not be able to see him in action until the 2026 campaign.
Jake Cousins with two injuries at the same time
The 30-year-old has been out of action all season due to a forearm strain suffered after the Fall Classic. During spring training, he suffered a flexor tendon strain, before being placed on the 60-day disabled list. The rehab continued and he made a couple of appearances in the minors on June 3 and 7 for High-A Hudson Valley and felt discomfort
It is worth noting that months ago he had to briefly pause his rehabilitation program due to discomfort in his pectoral. For the veteran pitcher, it has been about nine months of suffering one injury after another. Jake, who is the cousin of NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins, was traded to the Yankees by the Chicago White Sox last year. Before moving to New York, the former Pennsylvania college star spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers
Giancarlo Stanton overshadows Jake Cousins’ situation
However, in the cold analysis of the New York Yankees’ progress, the absence of Jake Cousins does not affect the team’s current performance, since he has not been active this season and the pitching staff remains stable after 10 weeks of the season. In better news for the Yankees, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will start against the Anaheim Angels and will bat fifth after missing his first 70 games due to inflammation in the tendons of both elbows.
Stanton went 3-for-11 with four RBIs in three rehab games last week with Double-A Somerset, an assignment interrupted by rain. He worked out Sunday at Yankee Stadium while New York was swept by Boston. “He feels good. I’m excited to have the big guy back,” Boone said
Stanton has not played a full season since 2018, the first year after the Yankees acquired him from the Miami Marlins. As of Monday, he had missed 364 of 940 games (39%) since the start of the 2019 season.
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