New York Yankees' Ace Passes Big Test In Injury Rehab

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole passed a big test in his injury rehab.

Sep 27, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankee starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers a / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees' ace starting pitcher hit a big milestone in his injury rehab on Saturday.

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole threw a 15-pitch bullpen session off the mound on Saturday, which was his first since going down with an elbow injury during Spring Training in March.

According to Yankees beat reporter Max Goodman of NJ.com, Cole was "giddy" while discussing his bullpen session, and said it was a step he had been looking forward to for a long time.

Gerrit Cole threw 15 pitches off a mound today, his first bullpen session since he was shut down from throwing back in March.

Cole was giddy talking about it. He said he was looking forward to this step for a long time, his first taste of pitching in an extended stretch.

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) May 4, 2024

Cole has been on the shelf for over two months after suffering an elbow injury in camp. Luckily, there was no structural damage in his right elbow after he was examined by top sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. The fear was that Cole would need Tommy John surgery, but the tests came back and showed no tear of the UCL in his right elbow, so the crisis was averted.

The initial expectation was that Cole would be able to return to the Yankees in June, but based off his progression, and considering he just got back on the mound for the first time on May 4, July could be a more realistic timeline for the ace to rejoin the major league staff in the Bronx.

Cole is not eligible to return from the 60-day injured list until May 27, but it is evident that he will not be ready by this date.

The good news is that the Yankees' rotation as a whole has been superb without Cole, led by Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. As a starting staff, the Yankees' rank 2nd in baseball with a 3.01 ERA as a unit.

Cole is coming off a Cy Young season in 2023, where he notched 15 wins, and led baseball with a 2.63 ERA, 163 ERA+, across 209 innings in 33 starts. He also racked up 222 strikeouts, a 3.16 FIP, a 0.981 WHIP. The righty earned the sixth All-Star nod of his career as a member of the AL squad.

When the Cole comes back, he will provide a major boost in an already strong rotation. The Yankees are satisfied with what they have gotten out of their current staff, but they will be elated when their prized arm returns this summer.