TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees pitchers and catchers filled the hallways of George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday, For the first time in months, the mood around the New York Yankees felt genuinely upbeat. The reason had nothing to do with a trade or a free agent signing. It had everything to do with two arms the Bronx Bombers have desperately missed.
Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon were spotted playing catch on Field 2 of the complex. That sight alone told Yankees fans something they have been waiting months to hear. Both pitchers are making real progress in their rehab programs. And according to manager Aaron Boone, both could see game action before the end of spring training.
But for a team chasing its first World Series title since 2009, the question is not whether they are throwing. The question is whether they can get back in time to matter.
Yankees run it back with familiar faces and high stakes
The 2026 Yankees are banking on continuity. The core from last year’s playoff run is largely intact. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are all back. The club won 94 games in 2025 before falling to the Blue Jays in a four-game AL Division Series.
Chisholm made the Yankees mindset clear during the first day of camp.
“This is what this team was built for,” Chisholm said. “We’re running it back because at the halfway point, we thought we built a team that was going to go to the World Series. And we still believe that wholeheartedly. I don’t see a problem running it back with four MVPs on your team.”
That confidence is rooted in the Yankees roster’s star power. But the pitching staff took a beating in 2025. Cole missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery last March. Rodon underwent elbow surgery in October to remove bone chips and shave down a bone spur. Starting shortstop Anthony Volpe is also rehabbing a left shoulder surgery.
The lineup should be among the most potent in MLB. But the season hinges on how quickly the rotation gets whole again.
Boone delivers encouraging rehab updates on both pitchers
The Yankees manager held his first media session of spring training Wednesday and laid out the timeline for both arms. He said there have been no hiccups in either pitcher’s rehab. No medical surprises showed up in physicals across the pitching staff.
On Cole, the Yankees update was the most detailed the club has offered yet. The 35-year-old right-hander has already thrown multiple bullpen sessions near his home in California. Boone confirmed Cole is scheduled to begin live batting practice within the next couple of weeks.
“I think he’s thrown a number of pens already in California,” Boone said. “I think he’s scheduled to begin lives in a couple of weeks and then could potentially even get into some game action by the end of spring. We’ll see how all that shakes out and if we want to do that or not, but both have done well.”
The possibility of Cole facing hitters in a Grapefruit League game is a significant milestone. While the Yankees still target a late May or early June return for their ace, the fact that spring game action is even on the table shows his rehab is trending ahead of expectations. Cole, a six-time MLB All-Star and the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, was dominant in the 2024 postseason, posting a 0.71 ERA across nearly 13 innings in the World Series despite managing a damaged elbow.
For Rodon, the Yankees’ timeline is shorter. The left-hander is already throwing off the mound in Tampa. After going 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA and over 200 strikeouts in 33 starts during his breakout 2025 campaign, Rodon proved he can carry his share of the load. Boone did not commit to an exact return date but suggested Rodon will not be far behind Opening Day.
“He’s probably not far behind from the start of the season,” Boone said.
That puts Rodon on pace for a late April or early May return. Getting him back that quickly would be a huge lift for the Yankees rotation that cannot afford to be shorthanded in a stacked AL East.
Pitching depth could define the Yankees’ season
Until Cole and Rodon are back, the rotation will be led by Max Fried, who arrives as the staff’s anchor. Behind him, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are expected to fill out the starting five. Boone also pointed to veterans JA Happ-era arms like Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn as capable swing options.
“We’re talking Fried, Schlittler, Warren, Weathers and Gil to start the season in the rotation,” Boone said on MLB Network Radio. “You always have Yarbrough and Blackburn there that can fill that role very capably too. So we feel like our depth is good.”
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has also highlighted the organization’s growing pitching pipeline, including top prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, who are knocking on the MLB door. Boone hinted that internal competition for bullpen spots could extend well into the regular season.
“One of the things I’m really excited about this year is some of the depth, and to some degree, the competition,” Boone said. “Obviously, you’re getting Carlos back and Gerrit back at some point. If we’re healthy and guys are performing, you could bump some guys into that bullpen mix and end up with guys that not only give you length, but could turn into a leverage situation down there.”
The AL East is shaping up as a brutal gauntlet once again. The Blue Jays reached the 2025 World Series. The Red Sox added Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who stirred the rivalry this week by saying Toronto thought the Yankees were a better matchup for them than Boston in the playoffs. Boone called the comment “a little surprising” but acknowledged the division’s strength.
“There’s no question that it’s going to be tough,” Boone said. “The division is real. We think we’re one of those teams that can go out and win it. But again, it’s February. All of us and them have a long way to go.”
For the Yankees, the long way starts now. And the path to October runs directly through the arms of Cole and Rodon. If both return healthy and on schedule, the Bronx Bombers could field one of the deepest rotations in Major League Baseball by midsummer. That is the kind of pitching firepower that wins championships.
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