"He hasn’t been great, to say the least"- MLB fans concerned as Gerrit Cole marks 5.40 ERA through 7 starts this season

The New York Yankees were expected to bounce back in the rubber game of the Subway Series on Wednesday with Gerrit Cole on the mound. However, the New York Mets ran riot against their city rivals to sweep the Yankees a second time this season.

The reigning Cy Young winner's return after missing almost half of the season was expected to fortify the Yankees rotation. However, things haven't panned out that way for the veteran ace so far.

While Cole has struggled on the mound since his return, Wednesday's series finale against the Mets proved to be a tough watch for the Yankees fans. He conceded six runs over six hits, which included three home runs during his 5.2 innings. His ERA took another bump after the outing, rising to 5.40.

The right-handed pitcher was visibly frustrated in the dugout after his forgettable outing in the Yankees' recent drubbing.

Fans reacted online to the veteran starter's underwhelming performances so far this season, displaying concern for the Yankees star:

"Yeah he hasn’t been great, to say the least," one fan said.

"Having a bad season so far no doubt," another said.

"Bro needs a reset," one fan said.

Several opposition fans also took the opportunity to mock the Yankees after their ace's recent struggles:

"Cooked product," mocked a fan.

"Think about the $324 million dollar contract he signed for nine years with the Yankees!!!" another fan reminded.

"Cole is still great but may be stepping past his prime. His fastball is losing its movement. Giving up too many HRs," one fan said.

Gerrit Cole fails to improve on his record against Mets this season

Gerrit Cole conceded four home runs in his earlier start against the New York Mets at Citi Field. While the veteran ace had pledged to improve on his performance, he ended up conceding three homers on Wednesday. Speaking of his poor performance and the Yankee's recent slump, Cole said:

“Unfortunately, I just let it get out of hand too much and didn’t give us a good chance to win the game. We’re definitely sitting in it right now, and not happy about it.”

This was the Yankees' fourth loss in six games since the All-Star break and the pressure has been mounting on manager Aaron Boone with the team seemingly losing its way after a strong start to the season. The latest results mean the Yankees are now 60-44 for the season so far, 1.5 games behind the American League East leaders Baltimore Orioles (60-41).

The Yankees will look to bounce in their upcoming three-game series against arch-rivals Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, beginning on Friday.