Yankees' Jake Cousins: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
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Cousins announced on his personal Instagram account that he underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday.
Cousins had been dealing with injuries to his throwing arm since spring and wasn't able to pitch in any games this season. If all goes well in his recovery from surgery, he could be ready to return to game action sometime during the summer of 2026.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Set to undergo Tommy John surgery
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Cousins will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cousins has dealt with issues with his pitching arm since the beginning of spring training and recently experienced a setback that has prompted him to get season-ending surgery. He will be shelved at least until the middle of the 2026 season.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Rehab paused
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The Yankees paused Cousins' (forearm/pectoral) rehab assignment Tuesday due to an elbow issue, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
The team is still waiting for the results of an MRI that Cousins received Tuesday, but there's a chance he may need to spend some more time on the injured list. The 30-year-old reliever has been on the shelf all year due to a forearm strain followed by a pectoral injury, though he was cleared to begin playing in minor-league games last week.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Resumes throwing
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Cousins (forearm/pectoral) threw a side session of approximately 30 pitches Saturday, MLB.com reports.
Cousins was temporarily shut down from throwing in mid-May due to a pectoral injury, but the righty reliever has since been able to return to his throwing progression. He's been on the injured list all season due to a right forearm strain, and he's expected to be ready to join the Yankees bullpen sometime in June if he doesn't have any additional setbacks.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Managing pec injury
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Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Cousins (forearm) has been shut down for a few days due to a pectoral injury, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Boone added that Cousins' latest injury isn't anything too serious, so the team seems to just be sitting him down as a precaution. The 30-year-old reliever has been working his way back from a right forearm strain since the start of the season and should still be able to make it back to the Yankees' bullpen in June, assuming his pec injury doesn't evolve into anything severe.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Eyeing June return
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Cousins (forearm) said May 6 that he's hopeful to return from the 60-day injured list in early-to-mid June, MLB.com reports.
Cousins is eligible for activation May 26, but he looks like he'll need another week or two beyond that before making his 2025 debut with the Yankees. The 30-year-old reliever is on the mend from a right forearm strain but took a major step forward in the recovery process earlier this month, when he faced hitters in live batting practice. He could soon be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Targeting early-to-mid June
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Cousins (elbow) is targeting a return in early-to-mid June, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cousins will throw another bullpen session Friday and is about two weeks away from facing hitters. He'll need a rehab assignment at some point after that. The reliever is recovering from a right elbow flexor strain.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Throwing off mound
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Cousins (elbow) has begun throwing off a mound, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cousins has been nursing a right elbow flexor strain since February, but he recently received the green light to begin throwing bullpen sessions again. Assuming he doesn't experience any setbacks, the plan is for him to graduate to throwing live batting practice in a few weeks before beginning a rehab assignment in the minors. The 30-year-old righty will be eligible for activation from the 60-day IL in late May
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Lands on 60-day IL
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The Yankees placed Cousins (forearm) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
A forearm strain prevented Cousins from seeing any action in the Grapefruit League this spring, and the Yankees' decision to immediately send him to the 60-day IL indicates that he isn't anywhere close to making his season debut. The right-hander won't be eligible to play until late May; meanwhile, camp standout Pablo Reyes will fill the vacancy on the active roster.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Throwing out to 90 feet
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Cousins (forearm) has extended his throwing distance off flat ground to 90 feet, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Cousins has yet to pitch in a game this spring while recovering from a right forearm strain, and since he's not yet throwing off a mound, he seems unlikely to make an appearance before the Yankees' Grapefruit League slate comes to a close. As a one-inning reliever, Cousins won't require much ramp-up time once he's deemed ready to face hitters, but he's still ticketed for a stint on the injured list to begin the season.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Set to resume throwing Monday
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Cousins (forearm) will resume a throwing program Monday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.
Cousins reported to camp earlier this month with a right forearm strain but got his arm re-imaged recently and the results were "really good," the pitcher said Wednesday, adding that he's "ready to go." The reliever will have been shut down for nearly five weeks and will not be ready for Opening Day, but the hope is he will not have to miss much time.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Nursing forearm strain
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Cousins is currently shut down due to a right forearm strain, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.
It's possible the reliever will be ready to resume a throwing program next week or the following week, per Yankees manager Aaron Boone. However, the injury has Cousins' availability for Opening Day in question. Cousins was excellent in 37 regular-season appearances for the Yankees last season, holding a 2.37 ERA and 53:20 K:BB across 38 innings. If healthy, he could see some high-leverage relief work.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Expected to be ready for ALDS
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Cousins (pectoral) is on track to be ready for the ALDS, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cousins will throw another bullpen session Wednesday, which should be the last hurdle he needs to clear before being included on the ALDS roster. The right-handed reliever hasn't pitched in a game in nearly two weeks because of a right pectoral strain.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Team hoping for postseason return
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Cousins, whom the Yankees placed on the 15-day injured list earlier Sunday with a right pectoral strain, could resume mound work within the next week, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The pec strain has brought Cousins' regular season to an end, but if he can return to elevated ground this week as hoped, he may still be an option for New York at some point in the postseason. Cousins ranks fifth on the team in holds with eight to go along with a 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB over 38 innings in his first season in pinstripes.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Should avoid IL stint
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Cousins (pectoral) is likely to be out for a few days after exiting his outing Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cousins was pulled with the issue in the sixth inning. After the game, he said he's been dealing with the injury since Sunday but had progressed to the point where he thought he could pitch in game action. Even with the setback, it appears that Cousins will avoid the injured list.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Summoned to big leagues
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The Yankees recalled Cousins from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.
After right-handed reliever Yoendrys Gomez worked two innings in Wednesday's 12-2 loss to the Mets, the Yankees will move him off the 26-man active roster for a fresh bullpen arm in Cousins. The 29-year-old previously made two relief appearances for the Yankees but has otherwise spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A, where he's covered six innings while giving up two earned runs and striking out eight batters.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Added to roster
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The Yankees selected Cousins' contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Cousins was acquired via trade from the White Sox on Sunday and will immediately be added to the major-league roster. The 29-year-old struggled in 2023 during his brief time in the majors and dealt with shoulder issues, but he posted a 2.70 ERA and 65:27 K:BB over 43.1 relief innings with the Brewers from 2021-22. Cousins will be used in low-leverage spots initially.
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Yankees' Jake Cousins: Headed to New York
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Cousins was traded from the White Sox to the Yankees on Sunday in return for cash considerations.
Cousins signed a minor-league contract with Chicago in December, but he'll now head to the Big Apple. The right-hander appeared in nine games with the Brewers in 2023, producing a 4.82 ERA with seven strikeouts and 10 walks allowed over 9.1 innings. He'll likely begin his tenure with the Yankees at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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Astros' Jake Cousins: Optioned after acquisition
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The Astros activated Cousins (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land after acquiring him off waivers from the Brewers on Monday.
Cousins struggled over his 12 appearances with Milwaukee prior to landing on the shelf in early June with a right shoulder injury and wasn't especially sharp during his five rehab appearances in the minors, so he'll attempt to work out the kinks in Sugar Land before getting a look in the Houston bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander has shown the ability to make bats miss at the big-league level, but any success he might have moving forward will hinge on keeping his walk rate in check.
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Astros' Jake Cousins: Scooped up by Houston
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The Astros claimed Cousins (shoulder) off waivers from the Brewers on Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Cousins owns a 3.08 ERA and a 31.4 percent strikeout rate over 52.2 innings in parts of three seasons in the big leagues, but he's struggled with reining in free passes throughout his career (16.2 BB%) and hasn't been able to stay healthy in either of the past two seasons. He last pitched for Milwaukee on June 3 before landing on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, but he's already made five rehab appearances in the minors and should be on the cusp of a return. The 29-year-old has two minor-league options remaining, so Houston could elect to send him to Triple-A Sugar Land once he's reinstated from the IL rather than getting an immediate look at him with the big club.
