**Yankees Offer Tentative Timeline for Gerrit Cole’s Return from Injury Rehab**
Gerrit Cole’s recovery from an elbow injury is progressing well, but the New York Yankees’ rotation has excelled in his absence, posting a 2.73 ERA through Tuesday—the best in the American League and second-best in MLB.
Cole impressed in his first minor league rehab outing on Tuesday, pitching four innings for the Double-A Somerset Patriots. He threw 45 pitches (34 strikes), allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out five.
Under normal circumstances, this performance might prompt a quick return to the majors. However, the Yankees are not rushing Cole back. Manager Aaron Boone indicated that Cole would need “at least a couple more” rehab starts before rejoining the team, with a possible return during the home series against Baltimore from June 18-20. The latest he could be activated, given the 30-day rehab limit, is July 4.
This timeline, which once seemed uncertain, now appears more concrete. Cole, who has a career record of 145-75, opted for rest and rehabilitation over surgery after being diagnosed with nerve inflammation following his lone spring training start on March 1.
Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees in 2020, had an outstanding 2023 season. He went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA, 209 innings pitched, a 0.981 WHIP, and 33 starts, earning him a unanimous AL Cy Young award.
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