NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole could return to the New York Yankees this homestand following elbow surgery last year.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday the team was considering having the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner rejoin the major league rotation rather than make a seventh minor league injury rehabilitation start.
“We're talking through everything,” Boone said Monday ahead of a homestand against AL East rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay. “See what makes the most sense moving forward.”
New York came off a 2-7 trip in which Max Fried was sidelined by a bone bruise in his left elbow. Cole would join a rotation that includes Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlitter, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.
Returning from reconstructive elbow surgery on March 11, 2025, the 35-year-old right-hander started rehab outings on April 17. The six-time All-Star has a 4.71 ERA over 28 2/3 innings, allowing 28 hits while striking out 28 and walking three.
He threw 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night, averaging 97 mph with his fastball and reaching 99.6 mph.
“He looks really good,” Boone said. “I think this outing was a little more with probably competition in mind, like going to get guys out and stepping on it stuff-wise,” Boone said. “I think I’ve watched every pitch he’s made in the rehab. I think it’s gone really well. I think he’s done a good job of identifying things, especially early on in the rehab process. … So he’s checked a lot of the boxes and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent.”
Cole has not pitched in a major league game that counts since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
Boone had planned to give a third start to rookie right-hander Elmer Rodriguez, but the Yankees optioned him to Scranton on Monday and selected the contract of right-hander Yovanny Cruz from the RailRiders, giving them another bullpen arm.
“What’s the right timing?” Boone said. “Whatever we do, like it’s with the long game in mind. A need doesn’t necessarily mean, oh, we’re bringing them back. It’s like if we feel like he’s absolutely ready to go and check all the boxes, then we’ll, we’ll make that call.”
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