TAMPA, Fla. — “Lean Back” by Terror Squad rattled through the speakers at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday. Moments later, the pop of leather echoed across the diamond. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was back on a mound for the first time in 377 days.
The Yankees right-hander, working his way back from Tommy John surgery performed on March 11, 2025, took the ball for one inning against the Red Sox in a Grapefruit League exhibition. What happened in those 10 pitches sent nerves through the Tampa crowd before giving way to something far more powerful: pure relief.
The Yankees open 2026 in San Francisco in just over a week. Cole will not be on that mound. He remains on a rehab timeline pointing to late May or early June. But Wednesday was never about the return date. It was about seeing the Yankees ace compete again.
A bunt that tested everyone’s nerves
Red Sox prospect Braiden Ward wasted no time. On Cole’s very first pitch, a 96.6 mph four-seamer, Ward dropped a drag bunt up the first-base line for a single. The Yankees right-hander chased the ball, slid across the dirt and could not make a throw.
Watching a $324 million Yankees arm sliding on the dirt in his first competitive action since the 2024 World Series drew gasps. Bunting against a pitcher making his first appearance back from Tommy John is considered a breach of baseball etiquette. Ward then stole second base, extending his Grapefruit League record to 18 steals in 17 games.
“I’m sure he scared everyone in the whole stadium when he went sliding on the first pitch he’s thrown since being back, but I love the effort,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said.
The Yankees starter took it in stride. “It surprised me, but it was good challenge,” Cole said. “I missed the big (pitchers fielding practice) group today because I had to pitch for the first time. I ended up getting my work in, so it was all good!”
Cole’s fastball silences any doubt
Whatever concerns surfaced in those opening seconds quickly dissolved. Cole settled in and showed why the Yankees rotation needs him for their 2026 championship push.
His six four-seam fastballs averaged 97.1 mph and topped out at 98.7 mph, well above his 2024 regular-season average of 95.9 mph. He mixed in two sliders and two knuckle curveballs, finishing with seven of 10 pitches for strikes.
Yankees catcher Wells got a measure of revenge on Ward, throwing him out trying to steal third. Jason Delay then lined a single to left on a 98 mph heater, but Cole got cleanup hitter Nathan Hickey to ground out to second on a first-pitch curveball to end the frame.
One inning. Ten pitches. Zero runs. The Yankees walked away with a 1-0 spring training win over the Red Sox in a game that meant nothing on the scoreboard and everything in the training room.
“I think it was good,” Cole said. “The velocity came up again today. I hit a new threshold on really all the pitches. I think just the environment elevated it … so it was nice to kind of notch it up a level.”
Boone impressed by command, not just velocity
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has watched Cole throw bullpens and face hitters all spring. The right-hander touched 97.5 mph earlier this month and threw 35 pitches in his most recent live BP on March 12. But Wednesday was a different animal for the Yankees staff.
“It was exciting,” Boone said. “Kind of had the nerves over there, too, knowing who he is to our team and what he means to us. I thought he looked good, thought he looked strong [and] poised.”
Boone noted that pitchers returning from Tommy John frequently show strong velocity but shaky command. Cole has defied that trend throughout his Yankees spring rehab.
“Guys you see coming back from Tommy John, typically you’ll see the velo and the stuff return a lot of times. Sometimes it’s, where’s the command? With him, that’s what’s stood out, stuff combined with the command and sharpness that I’ve seen,” Boone said.
Timeline remains unchanged despite strong showing
After his scoreless inning, Cole went to the Yankees bullpen and threw nine more pitches in three-pitch sequences to simulate a second frame. His next step is a bullpen session in a few days, followed by a two-inning outing in a minor league game next week.
The Yankees have maintained June 1 as a loose target date for Cole’s regular-season return. His surgery included an internal brace, a newer technique that can help speed recovery, and he has not experienced any setbacks. Cole went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts during his shortened 2024 season and posted a 2.17 ERA in five Yankees postseason starts. Over his Bronx career, the right-hander holds a 3.12 ERA.
Cole refused to commit to beating that date.
“Nothing has changed,” Cole said. “It’s still on track. I’m hoping it plays out that way. I’d be thrilled if it did.”
For now, the Yankees are content knowing their ace looked like himself. In a spring defined by the World Baseball Classic and Yankees roster battles across the diamond, Wednesday belonged to Cole and his 10 pitches of proof.
“It was a bit of a special day for me, getting out to compete again and feel the support from the crowd,” Cole said. “That feels good.”
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
