Gerrit Cole took an important step Monday in his rehabilitation by Tommy John Surgery.
The 2023 CY Young Award winner and six times All-Star started his throwing program before the Yankees started a three-game series against the twins with a 6-2 victory. It was 20 throws on flat soil.
“It felt really good today. I was pretty accurate and had a good time,” said Cole. “It’s a big, first day throwing. Build it for a few weeks, so it’s nice to go outside and get it accomplished and let it go well.”
Cole, 34, underwent an operation on 11 March to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow after appeared in two spring training matches.
The operation included an internal brace in the hope of speeding up its recovery. Cole said that the next big step will be on the hill.
“Excited for him. He did well with rehabilitation,” said Aaron Boone manager. “This is one of those cool markings on the road that is important to hit.”
Pitchers Fernando Cruz (left sloping tribe) and Ryan Yarbrough (right sloping tribe) are planned to start on Thursday with rehabilitation assignments with Double-a Somerset. Boone said that the plan for Cruz, a right -handed reliever with a high liverage, should throw Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday before he may come to the Yankees. Since the end of June, Cruz has been throwing a live batting session of 19-Pitch on Sunday.
There is more uncertainty with Yarbrough, who has made eight starts for the Yankees and can be an option for the rotation.
“It just depends on how much we want to build it,” said Boone. “Do we grab him? We will continue to build it up? We see what we are dealing here, how he does it.”
Yarbrough also threw a live BP session on Sunday.
Aaron Judge will not appear in the outfield in the series against the twins, Boone said, but he could be there shortly after the next three games.
The Yankees dating from 2002, are 107-42 against the twins during the regular season, the best record of each team against another in his own competition at the time. If it counts in the late season, the Yankees have been 123-44 against Minnesota since 2002. They also won seven right over the twins.
– Additional reporting by Andrew Crane
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