The New York Yankees are counting down the days until they’ll have Gerrit Cole back in their starting rotation. Cole missed last season due to Tommy John surgery and will look to be that X-factor for New York in 2026.
With spring training in full swing for the Yankees, Cole spoke with MLB Network on Feb. 26 to share the latest in his rehab from Tommy Jon surgery.
“I would say it’s gone very well,” Cole said. “We’ve hit every marker that we’ve tried to hit, and we’re in the parameters of what we’re looking for. So the level of execution has been high, especially last start. It doesn’t always happen like that, but so far, so good.”
Moreover, despite his surgery, Cole’s fastball is hitting the upper 90s during his throwing session. The Yankees veteran shared whether he’s surprised to see that he’s kept the same velocity on his fastball.
“A little bit,” Cole added. “I just hadn’t really been anywhere close to that in my bullpens. But when the big dogs are in the box, you want to do everything you can to prevent the ball from coming back at your face. So, I guess the adrenaline just raised it up a little bit.”
Aaron Boone on Handling Gerrit Cole’s Return to Yankees Rotation
Moreover, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that he expects the veteran pitcher to return to his formerself and be an ace after Tommy John surgery caused him to miss the 2025 season.
“I think so,” Boone told reporters on Feb. 13 (h/t SNY). “I’m not going to put anything past Gerrit Cole. Again, he’s so good at his craft. The success rate on these surgeries is usually pretty good, and the way the rehab process has gone would suggest that he’s going to return to form.
“I know sometimes that’s a work in progress. Sometimes, in the early starts, as you’re working your way back, everyone is different in that regard. But I’m not going to put any ceiling on what Gerrit could do once he’s back in the rotation.”
Additionally, Boone intends to ease Cole’s workload and doesn’t plan to make him a workhorse as soon as the Yankees star is ready to go. With New York eyeing a World Series win, it will be ideal to take their time with Cole to ensure that, once the fall comes around, Boone can take the reins off him.
“The reality is he didn’t pitch last year on top of having that surgery,” Boone added (h/t SNY). “We want to make sure we give him the proper time to make sure he is good and ready to come back, built up in a smart way.
“So no, we won’t rush that with him, even if it continues to go incredibly well. You’ve got to be cognizant of the innings that he missed last year, and you want to be able to maximize those as much as you can and have him in the best, safest position he is in once he returns to roll.”
Latest on Carlos Rodón Injury
The other Yankees pitcher making his way back from surgery and expected to return sooner than Cole is Carlos Rodón. SNY reporter Niki Lattarulo shared the latest on Rodón and whether he is on track with the expectations many have for his return.
“He said, ‘Right now, they’re just working on upping the velocity. It’s a slow progression up. They don’t want to rush it, but his range of motion is right where they would want it to be,’” Lattarulo said in a Feb. 14 video from SNY.
“… I asked him when we can expect to see him back, and he said, ‘Hopefully sooner rather than later.’ He was also asked, maybe April, and he laughed and said, ‘That would be great.’”