Yankees Cautious on Gerrit Cole's Return After Problematic Double-A Debut

The ace pitcher struggled in his first rehab start since Tommy John surgery, raising questions about his timeline to rejoin the MLB rotation.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 8:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented baseball action, with overlapping planes of navy, green, and orange hues representing the challenges Gerrit Cole faced in his minor league rehab start.As the Yankees ace struggles to regain his form, the team takes a cautious approach to his return from injury, prioritizing long-term health over short-term gains.NYC Today

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole made his first rehab start for Double-A Somerset on Friday, allowing three runs in 4.1 innings pitched. While Cole was able to throw 44 pitches and record three strikeouts, the outing was less than ideal as he gave up a two-run home run. Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided a cautious update on Cole's return, saying the team wants him to reach a certain pitch count and repeat that performance before being called up to the major league roster.

Why it matters

Gerrit Cole is a key part of the Yankees' starting rotation, and his return from Tommy John surgery is crucial for the team's playoff hopes. However, his struggles in the minors raise questions about his readiness and timeline to rejoin the MLB club, which could impact the Yankees' performance in the competitive American League East division.

The details

In his first rehab start, Cole retired the first three batters he faced but then ran into trouble, allowing three runs on a two-run home run. He finished the outing with 44 pitches, 36 of which were strikes, and recorded three strikeouts. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the team wants Cole to reach a certain pitch count and repeat that performance before being called up, indicating they will take a cautious approach with his return.

  • On Friday, April 18, 2026, Gerrit Cole made his first rehab start for Double-A Somerset.
  • On Saturday, April 19, 2026, Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an update on Cole's status and timeline to return to the MLB roster.

The players

Gerrit Cole

A starting pitcher for the New York Yankees who is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2025 season.

Aaron Boone

The manager of the New York Yankees, who provided an update on Gerrit Cole's return timeline.

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What they’re saying

“We probably want him to get up to a certain amount and repeat that even once he gets up there. Nothing's imminent here. We'll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.”

— Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager

“It's nice to work on things, but at the end, you have to get outs. So there might be some situations where I get stressed and then long innings, short innings, long innings on the bench, those things like that, just trying to handle it when they come your way. And then continue to work out the recovery in between. Finding out what's working, what's helping.”

— Gerrit Cole

What’s next

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The takeaway

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