New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole took a major step Tuesday, facing hitters in a live bullpen for the first time. Now, he has his sights set on a potential return in June.
Though Cole is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list next week—May 27 to be exact—it was always expected he wouldn't be back on the active roster until June at the earliest. Missing most of spring training meant a similar ramp-up was needed.
But after Tuesday's successful live bullpen, which consisted of 20 pitches against Oswaldo Cabrera and Jahmai Jones, Cole isn't ruling out a potential return in June.
Asked if it is realistic he could return in June, Gerrit Cole said: “I wouldn’t rule it out.”
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 21, 2024
Cole also told reporters following Tuesday's outing that he'll likely throw two or three live sessions with the next one coming this weekend.
It has been reported that a mid-to-late June return for the Yankees ace is currently what he and the team are targeting. It's always subject to change based on how he responds to each level up in the throwing program.
The Yankees have been getting by well without the reigning Cy Young Award winner. At 33-16, they own the best record in the American League and the second-best in MLB.
The Yankees's 2.86 staff ERA is the best in baseball, and the starting rotation's 2.95 ERA is the second-best in the AL and third-best in MLB entering Tuesday night.
