Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Won't be ready for Opening Day
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Thursday that Cole (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Cole had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March, so the expectation has been that he will begin the 2026 season on the injured list. The hope is that his absence will be brief, but a clearer picture of his timeline will be available at a later date. Cole has begun throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Making 45 flat-ground throws
Rotowire
Cole (elbow) is scheduled to make 45 throws from 75 feet Wednesday as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Cole began a throwing program in August and said Wednesday that he "feels great" as he moves along in the rehab process. The veteran right-hander had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March and has an outside shot of being ready Opening Day next season, though a stay on the injured list at the start of the 2026 campaign appears likelier.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Begins throwing program
Rotowire
Cole (elbow) began his throwing program Monday by tossing around 20 pitches on flat ground, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
The right-hander has begun what will be a months-long ramp-up period as he works his way back from UCL reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, which he underwent in March. Though Cole's surgery involved the insertion of an internal brace that will hopefully accelerate his timeline to return to game action, the right-hander admitted back in May that he anticipated a 14-month recovery. As such, Cole is unlikely to be ready to go for Opening Day in 2026, but the Yankees aren't completely ruling him out from being available for the start of the season if his rehab goes more smoothly than expected.
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Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Could resume throwing soon
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Cole (elbow) could be close to throwing, Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News reports. "I think it's soon," Boone said, "but I don't have an announcement."
Cole also stated Friday that he is scheduled to begin throwing this month and even said he has a tentative date in mind, though he didn't share what that date is. The veteran hurler underwent Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in mid-March and isn't going to pitch in games this season, though if he is indeed able to resume throwing in the relatively near future, it would increase optimism about his ability to be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. At this point, however, it's up in the air whether Cole will have progressed enough by Opening Day 2026 to be on the mound for the Yankees.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Hopes to start throwing in August
Rotowire
Cole (elbow) said that he plans to begin a throwing program in August, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Cole spoke to the media Monday for the first time since March, when he underwent UCL reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. The procedure included an internal brace, which he had removed two and a half weeks ago, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com. The 34-year-old will resume throwing six months post-surgery, but it's not clear if he'll be able to advance to mound work by the time the 2025 season concludes. Cole acknowledged that he doesn't yet have a target date in mind for when he might be ready to pitch next season, and a timeline for his 2026 debut may not come into focus until next spring.
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