The Yankees are unlikely to bring in another ace right away. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned on Friday that Gerrit Cole’s recovery from Tommy John surgery won’t be expedited by Max Fried being placed on the injured list due to a bruised left elbow. This means the Yankees will need to cope with both players missing from the rotation.
As of Friday, Cole is set to make two more rehab starts, with the next one scheduled for Saturday against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He is expected to rejoin the team by the end of the month.
“If we have two more chances, we’ll find a spot,” Boone said ahead of the Subway Series opener at Citi Field. “We don’t want to divert him from his path for short-term needs. He’ll be out there when he’s ready.”
On Saturday, Cole is likely to throw over 80 pitches and then hit that mark again during what will probably be his seventh and final rehab start.
Interestingly, Saturday will mark the 30th day of Cole’s rehab assignment, which is the usual maximum. However, it can be extended if he is returning from Tommy John surgery.
Cole has been meticulous about his rehabilitation, following a 14-18 month timeline, and last Monday marked 14 months since his surgery.
“We just want to make sure he’s built back correctly and safely,” Boone said. “We need to get him to a good place. Being disciplined after such a serious injury is crucial. We want to ensure his performance is consistent and positions him for a successful return.”
Elmer Rodriguez is likely to fill in for Fried and Cole, having replaced Lewis Hill in the rotation for two games before Carlos Rodon returned from the injured list last weekend.
As of Friday, Cody Bellinger was experiencing a pronounced home and road split, batting .377 with a 1.259 OPS over 19 games at Yankee Stadium, while hitting just .188 with a .516 OPS in 24 away games.
“I think one reason for that is he suits our ballpark well,” Boone noted. “One of the reasons we brought him in was because we believed he would thrive at Yankee Stadium. However, we’re confident that his overall talent will help balance that out.”
