Yankees Announce 2 Exciting Rehab Assignment Developments
The New York Yankees have officially announced two significant updates regarding their players’ rehab assignments. Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner and staff ace, will begin his rehab assignment tonight with their Double-A affiliate in Somerset. This marks Cole’s first professional start since dealing with elbow inflammation, and he is expected to pitch around 50 pitches in this outing. Last season, Cole struck out over 200 batters with a 2.63 ERA, earning his first Cy Young Award after years of being a top contender for the honor.
Additionally, the Yankees have extended Jasson Dominguez’s rehab assignment by another 10 days, moving him to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders to continue his recovery and ramp-up in the outfield.
Yankees Provide Official Updates on Two Key Pieces
The Yankees’ rotation has been a standout this season, with surprising performances making it one of the best in baseball. Luis Gil has pitched like a Cy Young contender with a 1.99 ERA and a strikeout rate over 30%, while veterans like Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Nestor Cortes have also been impressive. Despite the injury to Clarke Schmidt, the rotation has seen contributions from lesser-known righty Cody Poteet.
Having Gerrit Cole back in the rotation would be a significant boost. The Yankees are currently the best team in baseball without Cole having pitched this season, and his rehab start tonight is the beginning of his anticipated return. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that Cole will need a few starts to ramp up, and if all goes well, he could be back in New York by the end of the month.
Top prospect Jasson Dominguez’s rehab assignment extension by 10 days keeps a 40-man roster spot open. The Yankees would have faced a tough roster decision otherwise, and since Dominguez is not expected to return to the Major League team immediately upon activation, it raises questions about which player will be moved to the 60-day IL or potentially DFA’d. Jon Berti or Clarke Schmidt could be candidates for the 60-day IL, given their extended recovery timelines.
Dominguez has been impressive in his brief return to the Somerset Patriots, hitting three home runs with a .316 AVG and .982 OPS in 10 games. With strong performances from Giancarlo Stanton and Alex Verdugo, finding a spot for Dominguez on the current roster remains a good problem for the Yankees to have. Demoting Trent Grisham for Dominguez would also be unlikely, as Grisham has had limited playing time.
