Some injuries feel like a gut punch. Others feel like the entire air has been sucked out of the room.
For the New York Yankees, Jake Cousins’ latest setback lands in the second category. Just when it looked like the right-hander was nearing a return, just when hope was creeping in, reality came crashing down.
Cousins, one of the Yankees’ most talented bullpen arms, is now slated for Tommy John surgery.
The news was made official by Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday. Cousins will go under the knife Wednesday.
Jake Cousins will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday per Aaron Boone #yankees
— Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) June 16, 2025
Hopes dashed just as they began to rise
Just last week, the Yankees had reason to be optimistic. Cousins was in the middle of his rehab assignment from a spring flexor strain and seemed poised to rejoin the team.
He had shaken off pectoral discomfort and was climbing the final steps of the comeback ladder.
But hope can be a fragile thing in baseball, often breaking under the weight of one more ominous twinge.
That’s exactly what happened when Cousins reported elbow pain last week. After shutting him down and conducting an MRI, the Yankees got confirmation: he needs Tommy John surgery.
It’s not just a bump in the road—it’s a full-blown detour. One that stretches far beyond 2025.
A difference-maker lost for more than one season
Cousins hasn’t thrown a single pitch for the Yankees in 2025, but his absence has been felt. He was expected to be a key cog in a bullpen designed to dominate late-game scenarios.
Now, not only is he out for the remainder of this season, he’s likely out for all of 2026 too.
This is the cruel irony of Tommy John surgery. It offers a lifeline, a chance to return stronger, but it demands time—a lot of it. Most pitchers don’t see a mound for 14–18 months. Some never return quite the same.
In 2024, Cousins showcased why the Yankees were counting on him. Over 38 innings, he posted a brilliant 2.37 ERA and fanned 53 batters. He didn’t just survive in a bullpen full of sharks—he stood out.
To lose that arm now is to lose a weapon mid-battle. It’s like going into a swordfight with your sharpest blade in the shop for repairs.
The Yankees must pivot—again
It’s a recurring theme for the 2025 Yankees: adjust, adapt, and try not to flinch. Injuries have taken bites out of the roster before, but the loss of Cousins hurts uniquely because of his potential impact and the prospect of his return at some point this year before this development.
He wasn’t just another name in the ‘pen—he was a difference-maker.
Now, Boone and the front office will need to reshuffle the bullpen hierarchy. Internal arms will need to shoulder more innings and higher-leverage situations.
The Yankees have managed without Cousins since Opening Day. But now they must accept that the wait won’t be weeks or months. It’ll be over a year.
Cousins faces a long road back
There’s no sugarcoating it: the path ahead for Cousins is long, grueling, and uncertain. He’ll spend the next several months in rehab facilities, working on mobility, strength, mechanics—inch by inch, rep by rep.
It’s the type of journey that tests a player’s spirit as much as his body. But if anyone has the mindset to push through, it’s Cousins.
He fought for a place in the majors, earned his stripes, and showed he belongs. That same grit will be vital now more than ever.
As he disappears from the spotlight for the foreseeable future, the Yankees—and their fans—can only wait, hope, and believe he’ll return.
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