The New York Yankees pitching rotation is currently leading AL-East in lowest ERA that too without the presence of ace starter and reigning AL CY Young pitcher Gerrit Cole. The ace has been on the sidelines since spring training. Regardless, his absence hasn’t been felt lately.
However, Gerrit Cole has ramped up his recovery process as he faced live hitters for the first time since injury diagnosis earlier this week. He is still scheduled to participate in a couple of more sessions. However, with his return on the cards, manager Aaron Boone is likely to face a deep conundrum to accomodate Cole.
Aaron Boone Not Ruling Out Possibilities Of 6-Man Rotation
Gerrit Cole, a reliable New York Yankees ace, has been sidelined with an elbow injury since the start of spring training. But he is expected to return soon, possibly in June, as he began facing live hitters this week. While his return is still a few weeks away, manager Aaron Boone is already working round the clock to figure out Yanks’ ideal rotation pattern upon Cole’s return. The conundrum stems from the starting pitchers’ prolific work this season. Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil have been phenomenal with their stuff, especially Gil, who threw his best career scoreless start on Thursday to split the series against the Mariners. So, how will Gerrit Cole fit into the Yankees rotation?
Apparently, the idea of a 6-man rotation is on the cards for the New York Yankees, as confirmed by manager Aaron Boone. After the series finale against the Seattle Mariners, Boone said he is not ruling out posing a 6-man rotation to accommodate Cole in the latter half of the season. While the structure is far less popular in MLB, Boone says he wants to explore all options. However, as of today, he does not know how the rotation will shape up, as Cole is still a few weeks away from returning. “I wouldn’t say never consider, but I don’t know,” Boone said. That being said, if the Yankees decide to vacate space and stay with the five-man rotation, either Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt is expected to be made the scapegoat. Schmidt and Gill wouldn’t necessarily be demoted, as there’s enough room in the bullpen.
What Gerrit Cole Said About His Potential Return?
Gerrit Cole, meanwhile, is taking important steps in his recovery from elbow injury. After countless bullpen sessions, the ace faced live hitters for the first time this week and interestingly he donned pinstripes as he missed stepping on the mound in the iconic uniform. That being said, Cole’s return is still not imminent.
After the live BP session, Gerrit Cole said he is not ruling out a return in June, which is still a couple of weeks away. Notably, Cole’s initial timeline will expire on May 27, and he has not confirmed that he will be skipping the timeline. Regardless, the hope is that Cole somehow turns up on the mound all safe and sound before the All-Star break.
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