SOMERSET, NJ — Gerrit Cole is on the clock to eventually rejoin baseball’s surprisingly top starting staff.
Recovering from a spring-training elbow injury, the reigning American League Cy Young winner saw his first game action of 2024 when he tossed 45 pitches (34 strikes) over 3 1/3 scoreless innings — while topping out at 97 mph — to start a rehab assignment for Double-A Somerset against Hartford.
Cole allowed two singles, walked none and struck out five before leaving to a standing ovation at TD Bank Ballpark with one out in the fourth.
Aaron Boone had said before the Yanks’ game against the Twins in The Bronx that he expects Cole to make “at least a few” minor-league appearances, perhaps setting up the $324 million righty for a late-June return.
“That’s something we’ll work through as we go,” Boone said. “When do we want to take him? How many pitches do we want him built up to? Those will all be factored in and we’ll work with Gerrit through that as well.”
The first-place Yanks have up to 30 days of allowable rehab time for Cole, who went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 222 strikeouts in an AL-high 207 innings in 2023.
The six-time All-Star was shut down in mid-March with nerve inflammation and edema in his pitching elbow and resumed playing catch on April 8 before throwing his first bullpen session in early May and facing batters for the first time on May 21.
He threw 43 pitches in a simulated game at the Yankees’ player development complex last Thursday and then a bullpen session Sunday, the final hurdle before heading to the minors.
With Clarke Schmidt expected to be sidelined until August with a lat strain, Cody Poteet started Saturday against the Giants, and he likely will remain in that rotation spot until Cole is ready to return.
The Yanks entered Tuesday with an MLB-best 2.78 staff ERA, and Boone noted that Cole still has managed to make an impact on the team without throwing a pitch in the majors this season.
“Its all the time with Gerrit,” Boone said. “He’s been down in Tampa when we were on the road, I know he was working with pitchers and catchers down there.
“He’s giving me advice all the time, talking me through certain things. He’s entrenched in the culture, it’s important to him. Yeah, he’s the ace of our staff, but its important on days he’s not pitching to do all he can for his team and organization.”
Somerset manager Raul Dominguez said that he expected Cole to throw “between 40-50 pitches,” but more importantly he was “excited to have him here with all the young pitchers watching him throw.”
Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones also said he expected it “to be a lot of fun to watch Cole pitch and I’m excited to see it from center field.”
The 33-year-old Cole came out firing strikes, throwing just one ball among 10 pitches in the first inning.
The 12-year veteran allowed a leadoff single to Adael Amador before recording two K’s, reaching 97 mph on each of the strikeout pitches.
That was followed by a 1-2-3 second inning on 15 pitches, and 15 more in the third, including his second single allowed and his fourth strikeout.
He came out to face one more batter in the fourth, fanning Sterlin Thompson before Dominguez replaced him with reliever Zach Messinger.