Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had an internal brace put in his right elbow as part of Tommy John surgery on March 11 and while not projecting a date for his mound return understands the usual rehabilitation takes about 14 months. Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, spoke with reporters on Monday for the first time since the operation by Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. A 34-year-old right-hander with 153-80 record and 3.18 ERA over 317 starts and 1,954 innings in 12 major league seasons, Cole felt constrained when his arm initially was in a brace following the surgery.