Prior to the start of the third game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, the Bronx Bombers’ manager Aaron Boone revealed that outfielder Alex Verdugo is flying late to Baltimore this Wednesday night. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, as Boone also announced that Gerrit Cole had a heavy day of throwing yesterday and he doesn’t know yet when Cole is scheduled to throw from the mound again.
According to MLB.com journalist Bryan Hoch, Verdugo, who was placed on the paternity list, is expected to be back in the lineup tomorrow. This news was disclosed a day before, when Boone unveiled that maybe through Thursday or Friday, Verdugo would be back donning the Yankees’ iconic shirt. And, it seems that this prediction will occur successfully.
Is Gerrit Cole going to be back any time soon?
Speaking of Gerrit Cole, Boone did not comment on whether the All-Star break would be a realistic timeline for the pitcher’s return to the starting rotation. The star of the Bronx Bombers has been sidelined due to an elbow injury that has forced him to miss the start of the season.
This isn’t great news, but there’s a rumor that came over this week that the Bronx Bombers starting pitcher Gerrit Cole is “unlikely” to come off the injured list when he is eligible on May 27, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. This suggests Cole’s return may be further postponed, which is a significant blow to the Yankees’ rotation.
“He’s been throwing off flat ground and the expectation is that he will get it off a mound sometime next week,” Rosenthal said. “Keep in mind, he cannot come off the injured list until May 27, and it’s probably unlikely he’ll be ready at that time.”
Yankees injury updates: LeMahieu progressing, Berti suffers setback, Burdi nears return
Since last year, the Yankees have been struggling to overcome the injury phantom that has reared its ugly head once again. However, there’s a glimmer of hope as the team announced some positive updates regarding the health of several players on the medical staff’s watch.
Notably, DJ LeMahieu has made progress during his rehab and is close to resuming baseball activities. However, no specific timeline for his comeback has been revealed yet. Similarly, reliever Nick Burdi’s bullpen session went well, and he is likely to pitch in a rehab game before being activated from the injured list.
However, as Hoch reported, the road to recovery is rarely smooth, and infielder Jon Berti has experienced a setback, rendering him unavailable to play for the Yankees’ minor league affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, for the time being.
Overall, the Yankees are cautiously optimistic about the recovery progress of several key players, but they also understand the need for patience and caution during the rehabilitation process.
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