New York Yankees SP Gerrit Cole took another step forward in his rehab from an elbow injury suffered during Spring Training. On Thursday, the Yankees ace threw 43 pitches at the team’s Tampa complex as he continues to push towards a return in mid-June.
Cole feels good after Thursday’s outing
“I feel good,” said Cole in an exclusive interview with NYY UNDERGROUND following his outing. The 2023 AL Cy Young winner featured his entire pitching repertoire on Thursday, mixing in his off-speed pitches with his usual high-velocity fastball.
Cole to pitch from the mound again next week
Cole said the next step in his rehab will be to recover and then pitch from the mound again next week. As of now, it is unclear when or where that will take place.
Yankees starters have filled the void left by Cole perfectly
Fortunately for the Yankees, they have not needed to rush Cole back from his injury due to the superb performance of the Yankees pitching staff. On the season, New York’s starters’ combined 2.69 ERA ranks first in the American League. Additionally, their 26 wins, and 9.08 K/9 also ranks first in the AL.
The Yankees starters have kicked it up a notch in the month of May, combining for a 17-5 record with a 1.96 ERA. Recently, the rotation made MLB history after going 15 consecutive starts in which they allowed two or fewer runs through at least five innings pitched.
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While it is tough to justify removing any of the Yankees starters from the rotation, adding Cole to the mix will only strengthen the team’s pitching depth, presenting manager Aaron Boone with a “good problem” to have as the Yankees continue to roll.