The New York Yankees wrapped up their road trip Wednesday with a result they would rather forget. Elmer Rodriguez could not find the strike zone consistently in his first big league appearance, Jasson Dominguez left the game early after taking a pitch off his left elbow, and Nathan Eovaldi was simply untouchable, blanking the Yankees across seven innings of work in a 3-0 Texas Rangers win.
The Yankees finished the trip 7-2 but could not close it out the way they wanted.
Away from Arlington, though, an important Yankees development Wednesday was happening in the minor leagues. Gerrit Cole‘s last big league appearance came in the final game of the 2024 World Series. Tommy John surgery took an entire season from one of the game’s best pitchers. The road back has been methodical and deliberate.
Wednesday afternoon in Somerset, the picture got clearer.
Cole Opens Up on New Windup
The command has been the story of Cole’s rehab assignment, and Wednesday was no different. Across 5⅔ innings against the Portland Sea Dogs, Cole did not issue a single walk and never fell behind a single hitter all afternoon.
The changeup has been a particular point of emphasis. Cole has been featuring it throughout his rehab starts and singled it out as the offering he was most pleased with after Wednesday’s outing.
Then there is the new windup, post Tommy John.
Cole has debuted a new over-the-head windup during his rehab starts, something that took shape during his recovery work alongside Yankees PT and Rehab Coordinator Joe Bello. It is a noticeable change, but Cole does not see it as a dramatic departure.
“I just generally enjoy the rhythm of it,” Cole said. “I think it keeps the tempo of the delivery kind of upbeat and fluid.”
GettyYankees’ Gerrit Cole.
The Return Timeline Is Coming Into Focus
Cole’s pitch counts tell the story of a pitcher building toward something. Each start has added volume. Each outing has reinforced the work still in progress. New York has been targeting sometime between late May and early June for his activation, and nothing from Wednesday pushed that window back.
Cole is measured about the process. He understands what still sits between where he is and where he wants to be.
“I want to get there, but I have to build such a big base to get up there, get in the flow and start to execute. In that regard, it’s easy to stay focused…even though when I’m daydreaming sometimes, I’m wishing that I’m pitching against the Rangers.”
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 27: Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees looks on prior to playing the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium on March 27, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
What Cole’s Return Means for the Yankees
New York sits at 20-11, ahead of every other team in the American League. The rotation has been carried through April by Max Fried and Cam Schlittler, two pitchers who have looked like genuine difference-makers. The Yankees have not needed Cole to get here.
When he arrives, the ceiling rises.
Plug Cole back into that group alongside Carlos Rodon, who is also working his way back, and New York’s pitching staff becomes a different conversation entirely. That is not a rescue mission. That is a team already winning at a high level about to get significantly better.
Cole knows it. He is doing everything right to make sure he gets there.
GettyGerrit Cole.
Final Word for the Yankees
Cole says the new windup feels right.
The pieces are falling into place. Late May or early June is the target, and nothing about Wednesday suggested that timeline is anything but realistic.
The Yankees are already rolling. Cole will get his chance soon enough.
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole Addresses Notable Change Ahead of MLB Return