The New York Yankees announced a shakeup in pitching plans ahead of their series finale against the Cincinnati Reds.
Instead of Gerrit Cole making the start, Elmer Rodríguez will be taking the mound.
Cole’s Statement Before Reds Clash
GettyGerrit Cole of the New York Yankees commented on having his start pushed back
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via X), 35-year-old Cole spoke with the media before Sunday’s game and opened up about having his start pushed back.
“I’m good,” said Cole. “I was ready to go [Sunday]… Any pitcher, if you’re on a roll, just keep feeding me — you know what I mean? But there are different factors that contribute to when you get to do that. It’s really not that big of a deal.”
Based on Cole’s statement, the shakeup didn’t appear to rattle him too much.
As the franchise mentioned, the decision was made to provide starters with additional rest.
Cole will be starting on Monday, June 22, against the Detroit Tigers.
Cole’s 2026 Campaign
GettyNew York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole will be starting on Monday against the Detroit Tigers
So far this season, the right-hander is running with a 2.57 ERA and 24 strikeouts across 28.0 innings pitched through five starts.
His last start was on June 16, when the Yankees faced the Chicago White Sox.
This month, he has made three starts and is posting a 4.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 15.1 innings of work.
Cole is now playing in his 13th year of Major League Baseball.
Before landing with the New York franchise back in December 2019, he had a five-year stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a two-year stint with the Houston Astros.
This season marks his sixth year as a Yankee.
In reference to Cole’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, Hoch shared manager Aaron Boone’s statement.
“I think he’s recovered well,” Boone stated. “We also want to play the long game with all these guys. Obviously Carlos [Rodón] coming back, younger guys in the rotation that have logged a lot of innings. We feel like they’re all in a good spot, but we want to be mindful of this as we go through the summer with a long stretch here.”
Yankees’ 2026 Season
GettyNew York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone made an unusual pitching decision this weekend
New York is currently navigating its series finale against Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium.
Next up on their schedule is a three-game series against the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Looking at the Detroit ballclub, they sit toward the bottom of the American League Central standings.
They carry an overall record of 32-44.
As for the Yankees, they just faced a brutal 10-2 loss to the Reds on Saturday night.
The loss came one day after clinching a 5-0 shutout.
At the time of this writing, New York still leads the American League East.
They are riding a 46-29 overall record.
The Yankees are currently third in all of baseball, following closely behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (49-28) in second and the Atlanta Braves (48-27) atop the standings.
Not to mention, the Milwaukee Brewers (45-29) are in fourth, looking for the perfect opportunity to edge out New York.
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole Shares Thoughts on Unusual Pitching Decision Before Reds Game