Gerrit Cole Update: New York Yankees ace making progress in injury recovery, nearing return after prolonged absence

New York Yankees fans will soon be cheering for their Cy Young-winning ace Gerrit Cole as he's set to return soon. He's been participating in bullpen sessions since the beginning of May and has recently started facing hitters.

According to the New York Post’s Greg Joyce, Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided updates on Cole's rehab assignments on Sunday. Cole is scheduled for a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday.

The workload for that first game back has yet to be decided.

”We haven’t determined that yet,” Boone said. “It just depends. Do we want to bring him in a situation where he’s at, whatever, 60, 65, 70 pitches? Do we want him to have one more? We’ll have a better feel for that.”

Cole has been on a long break since leaving after a single start in the Grapefruit League this year due to elbow inflammation in his pitching arm.

It might be difficult for Gerrit Cole to match last year’s 2.63 ERA performance. However, thanks to the successful season of the Yankees' other rotation members, he can take his time regaining his rhythm.

With Clarke Schmidt now sidelined with a lat strain, it’s a perfect opportunity for Cole to join his team’s successful season that he's been watching from the dugout for weeks.

The Yankees aren’t willing to rush Gerrit Cole’s rehab

Fans and experts eagerly anticipated Gerrit Cole’s performance this year after winning his maiden Cy Young. However, his early departure forced the management to adjust their plans ahead of the season.

As they constructed the pitching staff, they focused on building the rotation with their remaining starters. Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon were hoping for a rebound, while Marcus Stroman was still adjusting to the team. Cole’s place was taken by the young Luis Gil, leaving fans worried about the team’s pitching department.

However, their concerns lessened when the Yankees starters delivered strong performances. As a result, the Yankees have had no urgency for Cole’s rehab, as they wanted their ace to return in perfect shape.

"I don’t know that it’s never not felt real, but also I try not to get ahead of myself with it,” Boone said. “It’s like, let’s keep checking boxes, keep moving the needle. ... So it’s just about continuing to move towards that point. It’s never not been real, but at the same time, we’re still not there.”

Cole has been working on his pitches in recent practice sessions. His fastballs have been reaching the 90s, and his breaking balls looked sharp, hinting at a stable recovery. With the Yankees' American League-leading 41-19 record entering Sunday's game at the San Francisco Giants, Gerrit Cole’s return should only boost their chances in the playoffs.