Gerrit Cole could return to Yankees during this homestand, Aaron Boone says
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole at spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Feb. 14 in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
It looks as if Gerrit Cole’s next appearance on a mound may well be at Yankee Stadium.
After saying over the weekend the Yankees planned for the ace to make one more rehab start in the minor leagues, manager Aaron Boone on Monday said Cole returning to the majors this week is “on the table."
“We’ll see,” Boone said before the Yankees opened a four-game series against the Blue Jays at the Stadium. “We’re kind of talking about that here today, tomorrow . . . we’ll make a call one way or the other. We’re talking through everything.”
Still, the signs point to Cole, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, starting Friday night against the AL East-leading Rays.
Cole’s rehab has gone without any setbacks and, by all accounts, he appeared more than big league-ready in what was his sixth rehab outing, Saturday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cole, 35, allowed one run, six hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings in which he struck out six. The righthander, whose fastball topped out at 99.6 mph and averaged 97 mph overall, threw 86 pitches.
“He looks really good,” Boone said. “I think this outing [Saturday’s] was a little more with probably competition in mind, like going to get guys out and stepping on it stuff-wise. Finished really strong. I think I’ve watched every pitch he’s made in rehab, I think it’s gone really well . . . So he’s checked a lot of the boxes, and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent.”
After Saturday’s outing, Cole told The Associated Press: “Some good velocity tonight, some good locations and, yeah, some good quick innings and some innings that tested us. I'm just getting stronger and stronger every outing.”
Earlier in the day on Monday, the Yankees optioned rookie Elmer Rodriguez, who started Sunday afternoon’s game against the Mets at Citi Field, to Triple-A and brought up righty reliever Yovanny Cruz, who throws a 100-mph fastball, though with spotty command.
Boone said Cruz’s promotion and Rodriguez’s demotion aren't necessarily related to Cole coming back this week.
“Felt like we needed the extra arm in [the bullpen] today,” Boone said of a unit that collectively has seemed to be on fumes lately.
Ryan Weathers started Monday night’s game, followed by Will Warren on Tuesday, Cam Schlittler on Wednesday and Carlos Rodon on Thursday.
That would leave an opening for Cole to be slotted in Friday night.
“If we feel like he’s absolutely ready to go and checked all the boxes, then we’ll make that call,” Boone said.
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.
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