Yankees’ star pitcher progresses positively in rehabilitation
The New York Yankees continue to await the return of their ace Gerrit Cole, who sustained a nerve injury to his throwing arm during spring training.
Although Cole is expected to be sidelined for at least the next six weeks, the injury could have been far more severe, potentially jeopardizing his entire season and leaving the Yankees with a gap in their starting rotation.
Thankfully, Cole detected the issue early, averting any long-term consequences, and is now projected to make a comeback in early June. Despite dropping the first game of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, the Yankees aim to bounce back in the upcoming Tuesday evening match.
The latest update on Cole’s rehabilitation reveals an escalation in both volume and distance. He recently threw from 60 feet and is set to increase the distance to around 75 feet in his next session. Gradually enhancing the intensity and, subsequently, the velocity of his throws will be crucial for Cole, who reportedly feels confident about his progress so far.
Manager Boone remarked, “He’ll continue throwing this week and upping the… he’s upped the volume a little bit already, but I think he gets out to 75 [feet] and beyond moving forward this week.”
Cole is coming off an outstanding 2023 season, during which he won the AL Cy Young award, boasting impressive statistics such as a 2.63 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 9.56 strikeouts per nine, an 80.4% left on base rate, and a 39.6% ground ball rate over 209 innings. His ability to pitch over 200 innings for two consecutive seasons highlights his elite resilience and effective fatigue management.
With the Yankees nurturing hopes of a World Series victory, Cole’s health and return to form are paramount.
In the meantime, the Yankees have heavily relied on alternative options like Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil to fill the void left by Cole, but his impact remains irreplaceable.
On Tuesday night, the Yankees will rally behind Carlos Rodon on the mound against Toronto. Rodon has enjoyed a strong start to the season, boasting a 1.72 ERA over 15.2 innings, and he aims to build on this early success to reaffirm his position as one of the team’s premier pitchers.
