New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is taking another step toward his return on Tuesday.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner will face hitters in a throwing session for the first time since landing on the IL with an elbow issue in spring training, per Meredith Marakovits of YES Network.
Cole is working his way back from elbow nerve inflammation, an injury that has kept him out for the entire Yankees season to this point. He recently advanced to “two-up” bullpen sessions, in which he would pitch an inning, sit and then throw more pitches.
Cole spoke about his return to bullpen throwing sessions for the Yankees earlier this month.
“It’s a good step,” Cole said. “This is the most taste I’ve had of [pitching] in months, and I do miss it.”
Cole didn't start throwing a baseball until mid-April and he's gradually built up his rehab from there. In spring training Grapefruit League action, the righty had soreness longer than usual between outings. The Yankees had Cole get testing to see if he needed surgery on his UCL, but fortunately, he didn't need a procedure.
Manager Aaron Boone felt very optimistic after Cole's initial bullpen sessions.
“I think everyone in this room understands Gerrit Cole, who he is, how much he loves what he does, and obviously, how good he is at it,” Boone said. “So it’s just the process of getting back, another step along the way to getting him back. Glad we were able to get to this point today. Onward and upward.”
Yankees leading AL East without Gerrit Cole as Aaron Judge heats up
The Yankees are back to their winning ways so far in 2024, currently holding a 33-15 record. That's good for first place in the American League East by a full two games over the Baltimore Orioles.
Despite not having Cole at the top of their rotation to this point, the Yankees have found success at the plate – buoyed by sluggers Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
After getting off to a slow start this season, Judge has begun to look like his old self lately. Just last week, he followed a mammoth 467-foot home run with three double and drove in a pair of runs for the Yankees in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
With his second career game of four extra-base hits, Judge moved into some rare Yankees company, joining Babe Ruth with two career four-extra-base-hit games.
Judge's history-matching game is the 28th in Yankees franchise history. It's the first since last September, when Judge notched four extra-base hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After batting only .197 as recently as May 2, Judge is now hitting .266 this season with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs. He's been walked a league-leading 38 times this season.
