So far, so good.
Gerrit Cole came through his first rehabilitation start feeling good, with the belief that he is getting closer to returning after throwing 45 pitches for Double-A Somerset on Tuesday night.
“I feel good,” he said before the Yankees faced the Twins in The Bronx. “We’ll take it start by start, just like we have the whole time. … It was a good day yesterday, so I’m very encouraged.”
The question now is how many more starts will the reigning Cy Young Award winner need before he is ready to return at the big-league level? Manager Aaron Boone suggested two or three more outings for Cole, but wouldn’t commit to a set amount.
“That’s something we’ll continue to work through,” Boone said about Cole’s next steps in the rehab process. “Obviously, Gerrit will pour a lot into that, and we’ll just keep taking it day by day, but at least a couple more [starts]. We’ll see if it’s, I don’t know how many — is it two, is it three? — it’s gonna be what is best and we’ll come to that decision as we go.”
A six-time All-Star, Cole was shut down in mid-March with nerve inflammation and edema in his pitching elbow.
Go beyond the box score with the Bombers
Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+.
Thank you
He resumed playing catch on April 8, threw his first bullpen session in early May and faced batters for the first time on May 21.
Over 3 ¹/₃ innings on Tuesday, Cole allowed two singles, walked none and struck out five at TD Bank Ballpark. He topped out at 97 mph.
“It’s fun, it’s nice to have the adrenaline,” Cole said of pitching in a real game for the first time this year.
The Yankees haven’t just survived without their ace, they have thrived. They own the best record in the American League at 43-19, and their starting pitching has been terrific, second in all of baseball in ERA (2.69) behind the Phillies (2.68).
It can get even better once Cole is back. But they won’t rush him, despite losing right-hander Clarke Schmidt for an extended period of time due to a right lat injury.
“This is about Gerrit and making sure he’s in the best place to be the best version of himself when he comes back,” Boone said. “Obviously, we know the impact he can have so I don’t think where we are matters that much.”