Yankees Legend Rips Red Sox After Gerrit Cole's Return Bunt

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole finally returned to the mound in a Spring Training game, facing down the Boston Red Sox, for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery just over a year ago. While Cole had a strong ten pitch outing, the Yankees' biggest rivals weren't keen to make it easy on him.

On his very first pitch, Red Sox prospect Braiden Ward did something almost no one would expect: he bunted. Cole and first baseman Ben Rice were unable to tag out the speedy center fielder, who remained on first base, While Cole managed to finish the rest of the inning unphased, one Yankees icon didn't appreciate the decision from Boston.

In a video posted by WFan Sports Radio New York, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber revealed that he texted Yankees legend CC Sabathia to get his take on the play, noting that Sabathia is "the godfather of hating people bunting on him." Sabathia's take was completely in character.

"CC's response: 'Kind of trash, they definitely talked about it before the game,'" Barber said, reading the texts off his phone.

Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Barber went on to say he asked Sabathia if he meant that Red Sox manager Alex Cora instructed Ward to bunt on Cole's first pitch.

"No, no, not Cora. But definitely a teammate," was Sabathia's response.

The hosts from WFAN went on to speculate about possible Boston players who encouraged the rookie to bunt on Cole's first in-game throw in over a year; Garrett Crochet, Jarren Duran and catcher Connor Wong were all suggested as possibilities.

Gerrit Cole Excels in First Game Since Tommy John

While Sabathia may have thought it was a dirty move, Cole was just excited to be back in a game.

“I had a lot of fun out there. It was very enjoyable,” Cole told MLB insider Bryan Hoch after the game. “I just wanted to enjoy all of it. That was my goal for today; no reservations, try not to judge yourself too hard and just have fun. Just go ahead and let it fly.”

While the regular season is almost upon us, Cole still has more work to do before he can make a longer start. He's projected to return to the rotation by the end of May, with a Spring Training outing the next step in a long recovery process.

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