Gerrit Cole Injury: When Yankees Ace Could Return From Tommy John Surgery

The New York Yankees placed Gerrit Cole on the 15-day injured list to open the 2026 season. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Yankees made a significant decision about their ace on Wednesday.

New York opted to place Gerrit Cole on the 15-day injured list to open the season. The 35-year-old had Tommy John surgery on March 11 of last year and missed the entire 2025 season. He has since made two spring training starts, with the most recent coming on Tuesday. In those two games, he has pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits, with three strikeouts and no walks.

Had Cole been put on the 60-day IL, he wouldn’t have been able to return to a major league game until May 24. He’ll now be allowed to return as early as April, though that is not expected. The former AL Cy Young winner has long been projected to return in late May or early June, though New York is giving itself flexibility if he can return earlier.

In Cole’s place, Max Fried will start the Yankees’ Opening Night matchup against the Giants. Fellow starter Carlos Rodon was also placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday, as he recovers from offseason elbow surgery.

Due to the number of off days early in the season, New York is currently going with a four-man rotation that will be led by Fried and also feature Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers to begin the season. Luis Gil, who was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2024, was sent to Triple A to open the season.

Gerrit Cole return projection

For months, Cole has been built up as if he were preparing for a June return. He had Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, which carries a projected 14-to-18-month return timeline. That would put the target in May/June at the earliest.

Cole has been tinkering with his delivery and has shown that he’s now taking his arms over his head during his windup instead of keeping them down by his chest.

In his final spring training start, the six-time All-Star’s fastball averaged 96.3 mph, and hit 98. He threw all of his pitches, and 17 of 26 landed for strikes.

Cole made 17 starts during the 2024 campaign after starting the season late due to inflammation in his elbow. He wound up going 8–5 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP while striking out 99 and walking 29. That followed a brilliant 2023 campaign in which he went 15–4 with a 2.63 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and 222 strikeouts in 209 innings. He won the Cy Young award in a unanimous vote.

Over the last seven seasons he has pitched, Cole has become a true ace, living up to the nine-year, $324 million contract the Yankees gave him in December 2019. At the end of the 2024 campaign, Cole decided to opt out before rapidly reversing his decision and taking the final $144 million over the final four seasons.

If the Yankees want to contend in a loaded AL East, they’ll need Cole back and healthy. The Blue Jays, Red Sox and Orioles all made significant moves this offseason, while New York largely stood pat.

Cole’s return would be a massive addition for the Yankees.

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