Gerrit Cole could make his Yankees return this homestand

By: Ronald Blum, The Associated Press Posted: 3:53 PM CDT Monday, May. 18, 2026 Last Modified: 5:29 PM CDT Monday, May. 18, 2026

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NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole could return to the New York Yankees this homestand following elbow surgery last year, the All-Star pitcher's first major league appearance in a game that counts in 18 1/2 months.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole could return to the New York Yankees this homestand following elbow surgery last year, the All-Star pitcher’s first major league appearance in a game that counts in 18 1/2 months.

“It’s on the table,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday before the start of a seven-game homestand against AL East rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay.

Boone had said last weekend that the Yankees planned to have the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner make a seventh minor league injury rehabilitation start.

FILE - New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a spring training baseball game, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

New York came off a 2-7 trip in which Max Fried was sidelined by a bone bruise in his left elbow. Cole could slot in for Friday’s series opener against the Rays and join a rotation that includes Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.

“If we feel like he’s absolutely ready to go and checked all the boxes, then we’ll make that call,” Boone said.

Cole’s most recent big league outing that counted was on Oct. 30, 2024, in Game 5 of the World Series against Dodgers when he allowed five unearned runs as the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead and Los Angeles took the title.

He went for tests after allowing a pair of home runs in his second spring training start in 2025, against Minnesota that March 6, and had reconstructive elbow surgery five days later.

Cole made a pair of one-inning spring training starts this year on March 18 and 24, then started minor league rehab outings on April 17. The 35-year-old right-hander has a 4.71 ERA in 28 2/3 innings, allowing 28 hits while striking out 28 and walking three.

He threw 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night. A six-time All-Star who is 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 major league seasons, Cole averaged 97 mph with his four-seam fastball and reached 99.6 mph.

“He looks really good,” Boone said. “I think this outing was a little more with probably competition in mind, like going to get guys out and stepping on it stuff-wise. … I think I’ve watched every pitch he’s made in the rehab. I think it’s gone really well. I think he’s done a good job of identifying things, especially early on in the rehab process … So he’s checked a lot of the boxes and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent.”

Boone had planned to give a fourth start to rookie right-hander Elmer Rodriguez, who is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA, but the Yankees optioned him to Scranton on Monday and selected the contract of right-hander Yovanny Cruz from the RailRiders, giving them another bullpen arm.

“What’s the right timing?” Boone said. “Whatever we do, like it’s with the long game in mind. A need doesn’t necessarily mean, oh, we’re bringing him back.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb