Ryan Garcia
The Yankees are anxiously awaiting the moment they’ll be able to slot Gerrit Cole into their rotation, and he’s taken another step towards that eventual return.
Cole threw another live bullpen session, facing various Yankees’ hitters including Jasson Dominguez where he began throwing some breaking balls as well.
It’s a massive progression for the right-hander who previously had not been throwing secondary pitches, but his fastball did not disappoint either.
Greg Joyce of the New York Post reported that he topped out at 97.5 MPH as he’s continuing to ramp up for a return to the Bronx.
READ MORE: Yankees reassign pitcher Adam Kloffenstein to minor league camp
Gerrit Cole Gives Yankees a Huge Positive Sign In Latest Bullpen
When he’s on the mound, Gerrit Cole is one of the best pitchers in the game, and the Yankees know just how important he could be to their rotation if he can get back to full health.
The early signs from his live bullpens are indicators that he’s trending in the right direction, upping his velocity to 97.5 MPH while beginning to throw breaking balls.
Facing some Major Leaguers including Jasson Dominguez, Cole is continuing to build up after missing the entire 2025 season with a torn UCL.
Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren, and Luis Gil are the the Yankees’ rotation right now, and they’re hoping to slot both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon into it.
Both veteran pitchers have proven to be reliable frontline options when healthy, the question becomes whether they can return to form given their age and the severity of their injuries.
The organization seems to be confident that both will provide big-time innings, and with how Gerrit Cole has thrown the ball so far, they might be vindicated in 2026.
More about:New York Yankees
