READING, Pa. — The New York Yankees have been winning without Gerrit Cole. They are 22-11 through the first weeks of the season. Their rotation has been one of the best in baseball. By every surface measure, the Bronx has managed just fine while their ace recovers from Tommy John surgery.
But the Yankees have not forgotten what Cole means to this team. They have not forgotten what it will mean when he finally steps back on a major league mound. And on Sunday afternoon in Reading, Pennsylvania, Cole gave them another piece of evidence that the wait may be getting shorter.
He walked into FirstEnergy Stadium as a Double-A Somerset Patriot. He walked out of it as a pitcher the Yankees can genuinely start talking about bringing home.
What Cole did in his fifth rehab outing
Cole took the mound Sunday for Somerset against Reading, a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate. It was his fifth minor league injury rehabilitation start since beginning his assignment on April 17.
He worked five full innings. He struck out eight batters. He allowed three runs, two of them earned, on four hits. He walked one batter. He threw 77 pitches in total, with 51 of them landing for strikes.
That pitch count was a notable jump. Cole had thrown 69 pitches in his fourth start last Tuesday. Getting to 77 on Sunday was part of the plan. Each start has pushed him a few pitches further. The Yankees are building him back up carefully.
The run-scoring in the first two innings had little to do with Cole’s stuff. Bryan Rincon doubled and scored on Alex Binelas’ single in the first inning. In the second, Dylan Campbell walked, stole second, and came around to score on Dante Nori’s single. Nori himself then scored on a double error by left fielder Jackson Castillo, who let a ball bounce past him and then threw wildly past third.
After that, Cole was in command. He retired his final 10 batters in a row. Five of those 10 outs came via strikeout. That stretch told the real story of how Sunday went.
The rehab numbers in full context
Across his five rehab starts, Cole now carries a 5.32 ERA over 23 and two-thirds innings. He has 22 strikeouts and just two walks over that span.
The ERA looks rough at first glance. But it does not tell the full story. Several of the runs against him came on defensive errors or on balls that found holes rather than on hard contact. The strikeout-to-walk ratio, 22 strikeouts against only 2 walks, is the number the Yankees are paying close attention to.
Command is the last thing a pitcher typically recovers after Tommy John surgery. It is the hardest thing to rebuild. When a pitcher coming back from UCL reconstruction is walking just two batters in nearly 24 innings of work, that is not a small thing. That is exceptional.
Earlier in his rehab, MLB.com noted that the Yankees were already encouraged by Cole’s command. Through his first two starts alone, he had walked just one batter in 8 and two-thirds innings. He threw 78 of 96 pitches for strikes across those two outings, an 81.3% strike rate.
Sunday added more weight to that picture. Fifty-one of 77 pitches for strikes. Ten straight batters retired to close the outing. Eight strikeouts in five innings. The arm is responding. The control is genuine.
What Boone has said about Cole’s return
Manager Aaron Boone has been consistent throughout Cole’s rehab. He has not rushed the process. He has not offered a firm return date. After Cole’s fourth start last Tuesday, Boone addressed reporters and made his position clear.
“We probably want him to get up to a certain amount and repeat that even once he gets up there,” Boone said. “Nothing’s imminent here. We’ll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.”
As of Wednesday, Boone updated reporters again. He said Cole is slated to make two or three more rehab starts before rejoining the club. With Sunday’s start now in the books as start number five, the Yankees are tracking toward a late May or very early June activation.
CBS Sports noted that Boone expects Cole to need at least two more appearances. That would push his earliest possible return to somewhere around May 24 to May 28, assuming no setbacks.
Pitchers on rehab assignments are limited to 30 days. Those recovering from Tommy John surgery may receive three consecutive 10-day extensions beyond that. Cole began his assignment on April 17. The clock is running, but the Yankees have room to be patient.
Cole’s injury background and what is at stake
Cole is 35 years old. He is a six-time All-Star. He won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. His last official appearance before this rehab stretch was Game 5 of the 2024 World Series on Oct. 30.
In spring training 2025, Cole felt something wrong during a start against the Minnesota Twins. He said afterward that “something wasn’t right.” Tests confirmed a torn UCL. He had Tommy John surgery on March 11, 2025. It wiped out his entire season.
Cole is signed through 2028 on a nine-year, $324 million contract. The Yankees need him healthy. They need him back. And they need him pitching at the level he showed before the injury.
Earlier in spring training, Cole threw a live batting practice session where his fastball touched 96 mph. He threw his changeup and slider with confidence. When asked about his condition before the rehab assignment began, Cole left little doubt about his mindset.
“I have no complaints,” Cole said. “Stamina was good. Pitches are fine, they’re good, they’re good. I’m being a little nitpicky, but everything’s good.”
Cole’s eventual return will take that reshaping one step further. ESPN reported that when Cole comes back, Ryan Weathers will likely move to the bullpen. That is not a demotion. That is a rotation overflowing with quality arms.
The Yankees are already the class of the American League East. Adding Gerrit Cole, a proven ace and former Cy Young winner, to a rotation that is already the best in baseball by ERA makes the Bronx a different kind of threat. Five innings, eight strikeouts, 77 pitches, and 10 straight batters retired. On Sunday in Reading, Cole gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. Another reason to keep believing he is on his way.
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