Manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism after seeing Cole’s latest rehab performance on Monday morning, as the ace is expected to return by the month’s end.
On Sunday night, Cole pitched five innings against Double-A Somerset, throwing 77 pitches and striking out eight batters.
“It went really well,” Boone remarked ahead of the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards. “His fastball reached over 99 mph for another strikeout. I thought the competitiveness was noticeable compared to before—I mean, I think he was definitely trying to get guys out this time. His execution was strong, another solid step forward for him.”
Throughout five rehab outings, Cole has maintained strong control, with only two walks and 22 strikeouts, which is quite remarkable considering many pitchers struggle after returning from Tommy John surgery.
“I think he’s in a good spot,” Boone added. “His performance has improved significantly in terms of quality.” As he increases his pitch count, it’ll be interesting to see how things progress in upcoming games.
Once Cole completes his rehab, the Yankees will face some tough choices regarding their rotation, especially since both Ryan Weathers and Will Warren are performing admirably.
Weathers just pitched Monday, throwing seven innings without allowing a hit and then giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings, bringing his ERA down to 3.00.
“I felt we were generally good in the strike zone, although we did still have a few walks I wish I could have taken back,” Weathers commented.
A couple of weeks after an MRI confirmed a mild strain in his right calf, Giancarlo Stanton returned for more imaging on Monday to assess his recovery and determine if he can start running again.
Stanton has mostly been limited to hitting since his injury against the Astros on April 24 and hasn’t done much in the way of jogging. However, if the MRI results are positive, he may be able to take steps toward rejoining the active roster.
“I’d like to ramp up my running this week if possible,” Boone shared, “but we need to wait for the results first.”
Meanwhile, Spencer Jones has been making consecutive starts, effectively filling in for Stanton as the DH after being called up to take Jasson Dominguez’s place due to an AC joint sprain.
Jones went 0-for-2 with a strikeout, but Paul Goldschmidt pinch-hit for him in the seventh inning.
In his return from a bruised left hand, Ben Rice ended a hitless streak of 13 at-bats over the weekend and bounced back on Monday, going 2-for-4 with two hits, including his 13th home run. Notably, nine of the Yankees’ 16 losses this season have been by just one run.
