Yankees ace Gerrit Cole won't pitch in All-Star Game after Saturday's 129-pitch outing
Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Houston. Credit: AP/Eric Christian Smith
HOUSTON — Gerrit Cole will be a no-go for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
It was perhaps the least surprising news of the day Sunday, given the events of the Yankees’ 1-0 win over the Astros the night before, when Cole threw a three-hitter and, more significantly, a career-high 129 pitches.
"I actually just spoke to Gerrit about that," Boone said before Sunday’s shocking 8-7 loss to Houston, adding that he already had "reached out" to Rays manager Kevin Cash, who will manage the American League squad Tuesday night in Denver. "It’s something we’ll kind of work through. Yeah, probably after last night, prefer to not have him go on that Tuesday."
Boone said that before Saturday’s outing, the plan was for Cole to pitch in Denver.
"I think Gerrit fully planned on pitching Tuesday an inning and [he] takes that honor seriously and was looking forward to going," Boone said, "but I think after last night, it’s probably best to keep him out of actual pitching."
Cole, a four-time All-Star, came into Saturday a pitcher under fire. Though 8-4 with a 2.91 ERA entering the night, he was 2-2 with a 5.24 ERA in his previous six starts. His spin rate was noticeably down in that stretch, one that coincided with Major League Baseball’s crackdown on illegal substances applied to baseballs.
Though Cole’s spin rate was slightly higher Saturday than it had been in previous starts, it still didn’t approach what it was during the first two months of the season, when Cole was the best pitcher in the sport not named Jacob deGrom.
All questions were not answered in one start, but the lift it provided to the clubhouse was undeniable. And, Boone said, it appeared Cole was no worse for wear after throwing so many pitches.
"Doing well this morning and started to talk about the plan for coming out of the break," Boone said. "But he looked good and was in good spirits."
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
