New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole continues to check boxes in rehab.
The New York Yankees' hopes of winning a World Series may fall on the arms of whether or not Gerrit Cole can get back to pitching at an elite level before his Tommy John surgery a year ago.
The former Cy Young Winner continues to make solid progress in his recovery from the major procedure, but it's unlikely he’s on the Opening Day roster.
During a recent in-game interview with YES Network, Cole shared what has been the most difficult part of his rehab, and it has nothing to do with pitching itself.
“Just the waiting [has been the hardest part]. The challenge of trying to take it day by day, not look too far ahead, and just kind of keep an even keel demeanor,” said Cole.
“It's a very long process, and you just kind of go through ebbs and flows and that, you know, from each progression to cast, brace, throwing, et cetera… The challenge, unfortunately, remains the same to just, you know, flush it after this in a little bit, and just get after the next day's task.”
Feb 12, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) works out during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesCole went on to admit that as he inches closer to a return, it gets even more difficult to wait between workouts, which is understandable.
The reality is Cole is an ultra-competitive player who obviously wants to be on the mound helping his team win games. The reality is, even though he’s getting closer, Cole can’t get too far ahead of himself and risk a setback by trying to speed up the recovery process.
Despite the need to be patient between workouts, Cole continues to check the boxes in his rehab. His latest milestone was throwing 30 pitches in a two-inning simulated game on Friday. The Yankees ace had his fastball top out at 97.5 mph in this workout.
At some point, and hopefully at some point soon, Cole will be back on the mound. Until then, he’ll need to continue to be patient with the recovery process so he can be available to help New York throughout the season and, hopefully, into the playoffs.
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