Yankees ace Gerrit Cole pleased with first minor league rehab outing since Tommy John surgery
NEW YORK (AP) — Less than 24 hours after throwing 4 1/3 innings in his minor league rehabilitation start for Double-A Somerset, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was pleased with his first outing since Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. “Just a lot of strike throwing and pretty solid delivery overall from a little of the stuff I looked at,” Cole said Saturday before the Yankees continued a three-game series against the Royals. Cole allowed three runs and three hits, including a two-run homer.
The right-hander walked one, struck out three and threw 36 of his 44 pitches for strikes against Reading, a Phillies affiliate. “I’ve seen some of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think good.
Velo sounds like 95, 96. I think the fastball is mostly how he wanted. He wanted to just get in the heart of the plate there early and then try to move it around a little bit, facing a fair amount of lefties.
“Was able to work in the changeup, which I know he wanted to do. I think the curveball was a good pitch for him. So, all in all, I think a really strong another step for him.
” Cole threw mostly fastballs along with some curveballs and changeups. He noted the velocity was higher than earlier this week, when threw 42 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday at Single-A Hudson Valley. “It brought the fastball back,” Cole said.