TAMPA — The Yankees are going to really miss handing the ball to Gerrit Cole every five days, at least for the first two months of the season.
But even though Cole was active as the club’s pitcher, the current AL Cy Young Award winner would serve as an interim pitching coach, consultant, and baseball mind for the rest of the rotation during the four days between starts. was also an influence. .
In that regard, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Cole takes his responsibilities to an even higher level while trying to recover from nerve inflammation and elbow edema.
“I’m going to do everything I can to help win the game,” Cole said Saturday morning at Steinbrenner Field.
Cole will at least make his first road trip of the season with the team (four games against the Astros and three games against the Diamondbacks) while renovations at Yankee Stadium are still being completed.
Beyond that, Cole is still uncertain about his schedule, potentially being lined up to start pitching during the Yankees’ first homestand, but whether he accompanies the team or not, he will continue to work with the team. It is almost certain that he will continue to help. The rest of the pitchers.
“Gerrit always wants to contribute in any way he can, whether it’s on the field or in the pitching program with the players,” pitching coach Matt Blake said.
“But especially now, even though he can’t be on the field, it’s going to be a voice of reason for a lot of players. How we look at other teams, how they look at their stuff. What are you doing? So I think it’s probably going to lift your spirits a little bit while he’s around and looking for things to do.”
Still, Cole is staying busy as he navigates the unfamiliar process of rehabilitation.
This is uncharted territory for him, having never been on injured reserve with arm issues before, but as with anything else he does under the umbrella of perfecting his craft. He is said to be working hard on it.
Cole is in the midst of a three- to four-week hiatus from pitching, but he’s been practicing plyometrics and arm movements to keep his arm “alive” so he doesn’t have to start completely from scratch when he resumes pitching. I have to.
But he will also continue to find time to keep an eye on his fellow pitchers.
“I think he’s going to do a good job of balancing it out, because I know he’s focused on his recovery right now,” Clark Schmidt said. “He’s very focused on that. So I think it’s going to require a lot of his attention, but Gerrit will continue to be Gerrit. So he’s going to be just as much, if not more , I think it will be just as involved.”
Cole is known to sit in on his teammates’ bullpen sessions and will be one of the first to report on outings with his teammates.
“It’s like when I go out and go to my locker, by the time I take my clothes off, he’s sitting right next to me,” Schmidt said with a laugh.
Cole’s absence on the mound has created a competition for the fifth starting pitcher spot, likely between Lewis Gil or Will Warren.
Cole praised Gill’s fastball and how advanced Warren is at only 24 years old, noting how well he can process incoming information.
Regarding the state of the rotation on the final day of camp, Cole noted how workmanlike the rest of the starters’ approach was, noting that they’ve been on track and made the necessary adjustments through a “relatively uneventful” spring.
Of course, Cole’s injury was a big deal for the Yankees’ rotation, but there’s no doubt that his presence will still benefit during Cole’s absence.
“Gerrit is behind us and Gerrit always helps us,” Marcus Stroman said. “That’s what people don’t realize. Gerrit is very in tune with all of us, always talking to us analytically, pitch-wise, pitch-grip, mechanically to help us dial in. I know he’s going to be out, but I know how well he fits in with all of us and helps us while he’s on the sidelines. ”
