Gerrit Cole, despite being an integral part of the New York Yankees pitching staff, has not being missed so far in the season as the team is thriving with a 44-19 record in AL-East. Notably, Cole is yet to debut this year as he suffered from a nerve inflammation injury in spring training.
That being said, Gerrit Cole is simply irreplaceable, and the Yankees will need his impeccable services in the latter half of the season. However, despite being on a rehab assignment, which is his last recovery step, manager Aaron Boone continues to remain non-committal on a potential return date.
Yankees Yet To Determine Length Of Gerrit Cole’s Rehab Assignment
After over two months of a grueling rehab program, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole finally commenced his rehab assignment in the minor league this week. He pitched for Double-A Somerset Patriots on Tuesday and threw 3.1 scoreless innings. Across 45 pitches, Cole allowed just two singles and no walks while striking out five hitters. Overall, the reigning AL CY Young pitcher performed impressively, showing no signs of discomfort and displaying his usual velocity and command. This outing has provided a positive indication of his recovery. However, the Yankees are prioritizing his long-term health and ensuring that he is fully ready before rejoining the major league rotation. Manager Aaron Boone said in a recent press conference that Cole’s rehab stint length is yet to be determined.
Boone is unsure as to how many minor league starts Gerrit Cole will need from here before eventually getting back to the majors. “Gerrit will pour a lot into that, and we’ll just keep taking it day by day,” said Boone. The Yankees manager added that Cole would pitch at least two more starts from here before the medical team could take a final call on the future course of action. But one thing Boone emphasized is the need to have patience and caution as Cole is an important piece of the Yankee roster. As for Gerrit Cole, he enjoyed the adrenaline of pitching in an actual game after a long while. Ultimately, the mid-June timeline seems the most likely return date for Cole as he navigates his way through the typical rehab program from an elbow injury that has already ruined his first half of the season.
Gerrit Cole Feels His Return Is Closer
After his first rehab start, New York Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole walked out to a standing ovation. He stopped by to talk to the reporters and said that the rehab start felt nice. He definitely feels closer to regaining complete match fitness. When asked about return timeline, Cole said its just around the corner.
“I’m not sure how many more we’ll need, but definitely closer rather than farther away,” Gerrit Cole said. Overall, in the next week, things should be much clearer. Cole will end up throwing one more start this week, and after his feedback, the Yankees conditioning team will then take a final call on his much-anticipated return to the big leagues.
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