The New York Yankees are one step closer to getting their ace back.
Gerrit Cole threw a lot in a bullpen session for the first time since being shut down during spring training due to right elbow inflammation.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner threw just 15 pitches, all fastballs, but was apparently happy with the outcome. He threw 13 of his 15 pitches for strikes and averaged 89 mph,
“This is a good day for me today,” Cole told reporters after the session, via the New York Post. “I was excited this morning when I arrived. I missed it, so it’s good to be back on the mound.”
The right-hander rated himself “somewhere below a five” on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being ready to pitch a game, according to the Post.
Cole, 33, and the Yankees will have to see how his elbow reacts after throwing. Even if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, it could still be some time before he’s ready to pitch for the Yankees.
The team has not set a timetable for Cole’s return after shutting him down. He is eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list at the end of May. But once Cole can resume a regular routine, he will essentially have to increase the initial workload that happens during spring training. It’s normally a six-week process and Cole isn’t ready for it yet.
Last season, Cole compiled a 2.63 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 209 innings, compiling a 15-4 record in 33 starts. With this performance, he was the unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award voting.
The Yankees have played well without Cole so far, posting a 21-13 record heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers. This left New York in second place in the AL East, one game behind the Baltimore Orioles. Yankees starting pitchers have a 3.43 ERA collectively, with the team compiling an overall ERA of 3.03. Marcus Stroman leads starters by throwing at least 36 innings with a 3.41 ERA.
