Gerrit Cole’s Curious Update From Yankees After Problematic Double-A Debut

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole started out hot for Double-A Somerset on Friday night, retiring his first three batters.

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But Cole had problems during the outing, allowing three runs in 4.1 innings pitched. He gave up a two-run home run shot. Cole wound up walking one batter and striking out three during his 44-pitch outing.

Friday was the first rehab start for Cole since he underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2025 season. While the debut wasn’t perfect and giving up three runs to Double-A competition was less than ideal, it was a positive sign for Cole to throw for more than four innings. He threw 36 total strikes. 

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Cole last pitched for the Yankees in the 2024 World Series.

On Saturday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided a cautious and curious update on Cole to reporters, saying the ace needed multiple more efforts in the minor league before he’s ready to make the jump back into the starting rotation. Boone wouldn’t answer specifics about how many pitches and starts Cole needed before being called up to New York.

“We probably want him to get up to a certain amount and repeat that even once he gets up there,” Boone said, via ESPN. “Nothing’s imminent here. We’ll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.”

Cole was pleased by his progress, but noted he needed to get back into a rhythm.

“It’s nice to work on things, but at the end, you have to get outs,” Cole said of his debut. 

“So there might be some situations where I get stressed and then long innings, short innings, long innings on the bench, those things like that, just trying to handle it when they come your way. And then continue to work out the recovery in between. Finding out what’s working, what’s helping.”

While the Yankees are patiently waiting for the return of their star pitcher, the team is 11-9 and in second place in the American League East. New York is a half a game back from the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the division.

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