Gerrit Cole faces live hitters, optimistic for Yankees return in June

Cole threw 22 pitches, hit 96 mph during first BP since being placed on 60-day IL with right elbow inflammation in March

Sep 21, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts as he walks off the mound during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole pitched to live batters Tuesday for the first time since spring training and the feeling was optimistic.

Cole, who enthusiastically donned the Pinstripes facing hitters during live batting practice at Yankee Stadium before the Yankees’ second game of a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners, was placed on the 60-day injured list back on March 28 with right elbow inflammation. Cole threw 22 pitches and reached 96 miles-per-hour on the radar gun.

Earlier today at Yankee Stadium...👀4⃣5⃣

🎥 NTT #BallparkCam pic.twitter.com/cyoysujuiF

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 21, 2024

Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake jokingly told Cole to “cool it down,” an overwhelmingly positive sign for the 33-year old defending American League Cy Young Award winner. When asked if a June return is realistic, Cole replied: “I wouldn’t rule it out,” though general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone, who thought Cole looked sharp during BP, might on his behalf.

Asked if it is realistic he could return in June, Gerrit Cole said: “I wouldn’t rule it out.”

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 21, 2024

The earliest Cole would be eligible to return is May 27; that seems out of the question based on the conservative approach the organization is taking and collective performance of the Yankees’ starting rotation and pitching staff overall this season. The original timetable after the decision was made for Cole to sit out and rehab – avoiding surgery – was 1-2 months.

There is certainly no rush on a Cole return, however. Entering Monday, the Yankees were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, their longest of the season, and the ERA of their starters before facing Seattle was 0.86 during that span. Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil have shouldered the load without Cole’s presence at the top.

Stroman – 7.1 innings, one earned run on a solo home run, three hits, one walk, six strikeouts in the Yankees’ 5-4 loss Monday to the Mariners – was outstanding, but didn’t earn the win due in large part to closer Clay Holmes blowing a save opportunity in the top of the 9th inning, allowing his first four earned runs in 2024. Schmidt takes the hill Tuesday as the Yankees attempt to start a new streak.

New York (33-16, first place in the AL East) with a healthy Cole will have six viable starting pitchers. The six-man rotation debate will loom large for the Bronx Bombers in the coming weeks now that Cole’s anticipated return is drawing near.