Yankees Share Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón Recovery Updates

Spring training brings hope for the New York Yankees' rotation. Two of their most important arms are working their way back from elbow surgeries, and manager Aaron Boone just gave the clearest picture yet of when they might return.

Boone spoke about both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón in a video posted by Yankees Videos on social media. The updates showed both pitchers progressing through their rehab programs, though on different timelines given the nature of their procedures.

Carlos Rodón underwent surgery back in October to clean out his elbow. Doctors removed bone chips and shaved down a bone spur that had been bothering him. The procedure came right after his best season in pinstripes - 18 wins with a 3.09 ERA across 33 starts.

The left-hander is already throwing in Tampa and making solid progress. Boone indicated Rodón won't be ready for Opening Day but shouldn't be far behind once the season starts.

"He's probably not far behind from the start of the season," Boone said.

Aaron Boone provides updates on Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón

On Rodón: "He's probably not far behind from the start of the season"

On Cole: "He's thrown a number of pens already, he's scheduled to begin lives in a couple weeks" pic.twitter.com/XZNKL7IqeL
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 11, 2026

That puts Rodón on track for an April or May return. For a Yankees team that needs innings from their starters, getting him back early in the season would be huge. The rotation currently has Max Fried leading the way, with Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren filling out the other spots.

Gerrit Cole's Timeline Taking Shape

Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Cole's situation is different. He had Tommy John surgery last March and missed all of 2025 recovering. The procedure typically requires 12-16 months before a pitcher can return to game action, so expectations were always set for a midseason comeback.

The 2023 AL Cy Young winner has been throwing bullpen sessions out in California. Boone confirmed Cole is scheduled to begin live batting practice within the next couple of weeks.

"I think he's thrown a number of pens already in California," Boone explained. "I think he's scheduled to begin lives in a couple of weeks and then could potentially even get into some game action by the end of spring. We'll see how all that shakes out and if we want to do that or not, but both have done well."

What caught attention was Boone mentioning Cole could potentially see some spring training game action before the season starts. That would be a positive sign, even if he's still months away from rejoining the rotation. The Yankees are targeting late May or early June for Cole's return.

Having both pitchers back gives New York serious depth once everyone is healthy. The rotation struggled at times in 2025 without Cole, and getting him back alongside Rodón and Fried should stabilize things considerably. The Yankees won 94 games last year, running mostly the same roster back - adding two frontline starters can only help their chances.

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