“I wouldn’t rule it out” - Yankees ace Gerrit Cole remains optimistic about possible return in June

The New York Yankees are still missing their key ace, Gerrit Cole, from the starting rotation, which has surprisingly been pretty dominant so far in the league. Cole has been sidelined since March after experiencing nerve irritation and edema in his pitching elbow. Cole spent many sessions recovering from the injury before finally taking to the mound on May 4 to start getting a feel again of pitching during game days.

Countless simulations and bullpen BPs now meant that Gerrit Cole was ready to face live batters to help try and expedite his recovery process and get back on the mound for the Yankees this season. Cole faced current teammates Oswaldo Cabrera and Jahmai Jones in live BP on Tuesday morning ahead of the Bronx Bombers' second game against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium.

In a conversation with Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch, Gerrit Cole was asked about the possibility of returning in June, to which he replied:

"I wouldn’t rule it out."

Cole was pitching in his complete pinstripe uniform as if it were the Opening Day of the season. Moreover, he said that him missing wearing that jersey for so long was the sole reason to throw a live BP in the iconic Yankees pinstripe uniform on Tuesday morning.

Reflecting on his live BP against Cabrera and Jones, Cole said:

"I had to dial the fastball back, which is a good sign. I thought the sliders were sharp, the curveballs. Everything was really sharp except for the changeup, which was just a little pushed beneath the zone."

Both Gerrit Cole and Yankees manager Aaron Boone do not want to rush in making a return this campaign

Manager Aaron Boone replied on Cole's possible return in June by saying:

"I guess it’s possible. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves in this and start predicting. Things are going well, and that was another big step. He’ll probably have another couple of these, and then we start to build from there."

As far as Gerrit Cole goes, he voiced praise for New York's current bullpen rotation and added that he was not looking to rush back into action too quickly.

He said:

"If we were really struggling, then you’d be challenged with having not to feel like you need to rush back. I obviously don’t have that. I don’t feel like I need to rush it back."

The current scenario requires Cole to pitch some more live BPs before the Yankees organization can make a fitting call on his expected return date in the 2024 MLB season.