The New York Yankees are one step closer to getting their ace back.
Gerrit Cole will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Double-A Somerset, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) Sunday afternoon.
Cole, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, has not played for the Yankees this season after being shut down during spring training due to right elbow inflammation. After three recent pitching sessions, which included facing live hitters, he is now on track to return to the Yankees rotation.
How many Cole throws start his rehab will depend on how he performs and responds in those outings. If he follows a typical spring training regimen, Cole could be ready in approximately six weeks. On that timeline, he could return to the Yankees by the All-Star break, which was the initial hope when Cole was shut down.
The Yankees have the best record in the AL heading into Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. At 41-19, they sit in first place in the AL East, two games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. That success was largely fueled by the excellent starting pitching the Yankees achieved in Cole’s absence.
Yankees starters have a 2.73 ERA. Only the Philadelphia Phillies (2.67) are currently better in MLB. The rotation recently ended a streak of MLB records of 16 consecutive games of at least five innings, allowing two runs or less. That streak ended last Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, with Carlos Rodon allowing three runs in six innings.
Last week, the Yankees placed Clarke Schmidt on the injured list with a right tackle strain. He is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, which aligns his return with Cole’s.
Right-hander Cody Poteet was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Schmidt’s place in the rotation and allowed two earned runs with six strikeouts in five innings Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.
