New York Yankees’ star pitcher Gerrit Cole is feeling much closer to his return to Major League Baseball than fans might imagine following his first rehab start in Double-A on Tuesday.
Cole, who allowed a couple of hits and struck out five batters over 3.2 innings while touching 97 mph with his fastball, sounded optimistic when speaking to the media after his first outing since spring training.
Gerrit Cole’s Statements
“Certainly, if you give me a numerical scale of where I was six weeks ago, I would say I’m definitely closed in. I’m not sure how many more [rehab starts] we’ll need, but definitely closer rather than farther away. I should be right around the corner now,” said Cole, who has been sidelined for the entire season so far due to a throwing elbow strain. “I haven’t gone through this process in a while, so I’m taking it one step at a time and letting my body tell me when we’re ready. I had a lot of adrenaline and had to hold back a bit. That’s a good place to be,” Cole told the media in his first outing in the Yankees’ Minor League system.
Impact on Yankees’ Rotation
Gerrit Cole will eventually rejoin a New York Yankees rotation that has been among the best in baseball this season. The Yankees’ starting pitchers rank second in the MLB in ERA (2.73), second in strikeouts (353), and fourth in innings pitched (352 2/3).
While the Yankees’ rotation did not seem to urgently need Gerrit Cole a few weeks ago, the situation has changed slightly with the two-month absence of their fourth starter, Clarke Schmidt. Cole’s return will bolster an already strong pitching
