Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees right-hander and 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, has resumed throwing as part of his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. Cole shared a video on Instagram showing himself pitching during a bullpen session at Yankee Stadium.
Cole underwent UCL reconstruction with an internal brace on March 11 in Los Angeles, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The initial recovery timeline was set at 14 months, making a return to Major League play possible by May next season.
Cole has been throwing since August and anticipates a typical offseason while continuing his rehab in California. “We have a good setup in California and good communication,” Cole said in August. “I can upload my throwing program to the [internal] platform and pretty much talk every day. There’s not a whole lot of urgency to get [to Tampa] right away.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently stated that the team does not expect Cole, who will turn 36 this season, to be available for Opening Day.
The Yankees are also dealing with injuries to other starting pitchers ahead of the new season. Left-hander Carlos Rodón had surgery to remove loose bodies and a bone spur from his elbow; manager Aaron Boone indicated Rodón could be delayed “potentially a couple of weeks” at the start of the year. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in July and hopes to pitch again in 2026 after beginning his throwing program later this year.
