"New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is not expected to make his 2026 debut until May or June as he continues recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in mid-March last year. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that timeline on the first day of spring training, when maintaining that the veteran right-hander is right on track in his rehab. But then he added, rather surprisingly, that there is a possibility that Cole pitches in spring training games over the next six weeks."
"Cole has been throwing off a mound at least in some capacity since October, but most pitchers do not ramp up to full competitive throwing until 12 to 14 months after their procedure. The 35-year-old has been throwing bullpen sessions in California throughout the offseason and is scheduled to throw live batting practices in a couple of weeks. Should he check the necessary boxes the team needs to see, he could toe the rubber in an exhibition game toward the end of spring training."
"Cole was a year removed from winning the Cy Young before his surgery, and Rodon was coming off the best season of his career in 2025. Max Fried asserted himself as one of the top left-handed starters in baseball, and Cam Schlittler has shown flashes of top-end stuff, specifically in his Game 3 start of the AL Wild Card series in which he shut the Boston Red Sox out across eight innings."
Gerrit Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in mid-March 2024 and is projected to miss the start of the 2026 season, with a return targeted for May or June. Manager Aaron Boone reports Cole is right on track with rehab and may appear in spring training games if he clears the team's checks. Cole has been throwing off a mound since October and has completed bullpen sessions in California, with live batting practice scheduled soon. Most pitchers wait 12 to 14 months before competitive throwing. Carlos Rodon is ahead in recovery with a late-April target, and the Yankees rotation includes Cole, Rodon, Max Fried, and Cam Schlittler.
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