“Looked like a Cy Young Pitcher,” Yankees Star Drops Bold Take Regarding Gerrit Cole Following Return from Injury

Gerrit Cole's last competitive start came during Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which the New York Yankees ended up losing.

“Looked like a Cy Young Pitcher,” Yankees Star Drops Bold Take Regarding Gerrit Cole Following Return from Injury

Gerrit Cole (Image via Imago)

As the pitchers and catchers return to training, some familiar faces are back in camps. One of them is Gerrit Cole. Following his first bullpen session, a New York Yankees star dropped a bold take regarding him and claimed he looked like a “Cy Young pitcher.“

Cole, the 2023 Cy Young Award winner, suffered a season-ending injury in Spring Training last year. After experiencing some discomfort in his elbows last year, he would undergo further diagnostics.

It was later revealed that he would need to undergo Tommy John Surgery and missed the entirety of the 2025 season.

Earlier, it was reported that the pitcher could return to action by mid-May. On Friday, the 35-year-old took part in the training session and threw out some pitches.

Yankees catcher Austin Wells was the one who caught some of Cole’s pitches. After the training session on Friday, the American international claimed that Cole seemed confident and in control of his command and looked like a Cy Young pitcher.

He looked like a Cy Young pitcher; he looked smooth and in control, and confident in his ability.

Austin Wells said regarding Gerrit Cole

Cole’s last competitive appearance for the Yankees came in Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the do-or-die game for the Yanks, the pitcher started off strong and dominated the opposition batters.

However, things went downhill for him and his team in the 5th inning. Some poor defensive plays saw them give up 5 runs after being 5-0 up. Cole exited the game after throwing 6.2 innings and having zero earned runs. The Bronx Bombers ended up losing the game 7-6 and suffered a World Series loss.

His absence was felt by the team during the postseason last year. After overcoming the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees suffered an American League Division Series elimination at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Gerrit Cole admits feeling “good” in the elbows following Tommy John Surgery

One surgery that MLB players hope to avoid undergoing is the Tommy John Surgery. Last year, Gerrit Cole underwent this surgery to repair his elbows. While speaking to the media on Friday, the 6-time MLB All-Star spoke about this surgery.

Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole (Image via Bleacher Report)

The pitcher expressed that he has been feeling really “good” since undergoing this surgery.

It feels really good. It feels different than it has been in quite some time.

Gerrit Cole told the reporters

The pitcher later claimed that he was just doing what he was being told. He claimed that he is not pushing himself when asked not to.

As for his potential return, the American simply claimed that he should be able to come back between the typical 14-18 months recovery timeline.

We’ve had a lot of discussions between myself and the Yankees… It’s always been, with a full Tommy John reconstruction surgery, the target is always between 14-18 months. That really hasn’t changed.

Gerrit Cole added

Going by this timeline, Cole could return to the pitching rotation by mid-May or early June.

The pitching department is one that the Yankees were looking to bolster this offseason. Apart from Cole, starting pitchers Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt will also be unavailable at the start of the season.

The Bronx Bombers were thus looking at some potential trade targets. While they missed out on two top names in Edward Cabrera and Freddy Peralta, they did add Ryan Weathers through a trade from the Miami Marlins.

Aaron Boone believes Gerrit Cole can be a frontline starter for Yankees upon return

One thing the New York Yankees fans are eagerly waiting for in the 2026 season is the return of Gerrit Cole. While speaking with SNY, manager Aaron Boone shared his thoughts regarding Cole and claimed that he could be a frontline starter for them upon his return.

Gerrit Cole and Aaron Boone
Gerrit Cole and Aaron Boone (Image via New York Post)

At the start of the season, Cole will be on the injured list. Once he comes back, he is expected to form a strong 1-2 punch alongside Max Fried. Given his abilities, Boone believes he could straight go back into the rotation.

I’m not going to put anything past Gerrit. He’s so good at his craft… I’m not going to put any ceiling on what Gerrit can do once he’s back in the rotation.

Aaron Boone said regarding Gerrit Cole as per SNY

For now, the Yankees’ pitching rotation is expected to consist of Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers and Will Warren. Once Cole and others are available, this could shake up a bit.

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