Yankees could make Gerrit Cole decision sooner than most fans realize
When will Cole be back?
Yankees could make Gerrit Cole decision sooner than most fans realize originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New York Yankees could use Gerrit Cole back in the near future, as the right-hander hasn't thrown in a game in a very long time now.
Cole missed the entire 2025 campaign and has obviously yet to pitch during 2026. It's a tough situation for the Yankees to be in, but considering how long Cole has already been out, there's absolutely no reason to rush any of this. The last thing the Yankees can do is rush him back and end up losing him again.
Technically, Cole can return at any moment right now, but the expectation is for the Yankees to build him up and give him all the time he needs. “Cole has built up to three innings (42 pitches) while pitching in sim games, and he's now been given the green light to begin playing in minor-league games. Because he's on the 15-day IL, the 35-year-old righty will be eligible to return at any moment, but the Yankees will presumably look to slowly build him up over the course of several rehab outings while he finishes up his recovery from Tommy John surgery,” Roto Wire wrote .
It's tough to get a feel for how many rehab outings we will see from Cole, but I expect we'll see at least two or three. Even if he comes out and throws the baseball at a very high level, the Yankees will want to raise his pitch count and whatnot before putting him back on a Major League mound. More MLB news: Yankees’ Anthony Volpe gets timeline update after offseason surgery Phillies absolutely can’t even think about this Andrew Painter trade proposal Dodgers trade idea would only add to fans frustrations over how good Los Angeles is Trey Yesavage update sounds ideal for Blue Jays amid injuries that could determine whether they make postseason Blue Jays get promising update on Addison Barger ahead of Diamondbacks series Blue Jays again criticized for factor they can’t control, but is a harsh one to deal with in Toronto