Gerrit Cole returned to the Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston on Saturday, but his return is still uncertain. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined all season with nerve irritation in his right arm. Following his third rehab outing on Friday, Cole told reporters that he “feels really good.” He threw 70 pitches in 4.1 innings and recorded 10 strikeouts.
Despite his successful outing, Cole is unsure what the next steps will be for his return to the team. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that they will be discussing those steps over the next few days. It is possible that Cole could be activated from the injured list before the Yankees’ upcoming homestand against the Baltimore Orioles, which could mean he would pitch as early as Tuesday.
Cole mentioned that he had not considered the possibility of returning so soon and does not plan to be immediately built back up to 100 pitches. He acknowledged that there is still work to be done before he is back at full strength. Cole stated, “There is still going to be a ways to go” in his recovery process.
