Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will reportedly make his spring training debut tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18th, against the Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported.
It will be Cole’s first time back on a big league mound after having Tommy John Surgery on March 11th, 2025. Sherman also states that Cole (age 35) is scheduled to “pitch just one inning” in the spring training exhibition game versus Boston.
There were previous discussions earlier in Yankees camp about the possibility of Cole being able to potentially pitch in a spring training game due to the progress he was making in his rehab, as well as the bullpens he began to throw once arriving at the Yankees Spring Training complex in Tampa, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Gerrit Cole’s Recovery Timeline From Tomy John Surgery
Cole stated back in early February when he first arrived at camp that as for a return date: “the target’s always been 14 and 18 months, that really hasn’t changed”, stated Cole. In this statement to the media, Cole was referring to the typical timeline for pitchers’ recovery from the surgery to their return to the mound, as well as the consultation he’s received from doctor, Neal ElAttrache.
Based on this timeline and manager Aaron Boone’s previous comments, Cole’s return date falls between May and July. The Yankees getting Cole back sometime near or after the All-Star Break would be a nice boost to the Yankees’ rotation, which is currently led by left-hander Max Fried and 2025 rookie right-hander sensation Cam Schlittler.
Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young for the Yankees, in which he posted a 2.63 ERA with 222 strikeouts and a 0.98 WHIP in 209 innings pitched. Then, most recently, in 2024, Cole posted a 3.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched.
Cole Played Big Part In Yankees 2024 Success
Cole missed the start of the 2024 season due to an elbow injury that arose in a Spring Training start, in which the possibility of needing Tommy John was on the table at that time. Still, the Yankees and Cole opted for rest and recovery, and Cole returned in June of that season.
Cole was a big part of the Yankees’ 2024 American League Pennant run, in which he looked much like 2023 Cy Young Cole, posting a 2.17 ERA in 5 games with 22 strikeouts, according to StatMuse.
Cole’s best start that postseason came in Game One of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, in which Cole pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just four hits and striking out six batters. The Yankees would go on to lose that game dramatically due to a walk-off grand slam by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Nonetheless, Cole’s World Series Game 1 performance put the Yankees in the best position to win, except the Dodgers had other ideas later on.
As it relates to 2026 plans, the Yankees will also not have left-hander Carlos Rodon to start the 2026 season. Although Rodon is expected to return sooner than Cole, sometime between late April and early May, the Yankees’ rotation will have to navigate further without these two pitchers in a rapidly more competitive American League East Division.
But for the time being, the Yankees are getting good news on Cole’s recovery timeline and status, and that’s all they and their fans can hope for at this point regarding the health and effectiveness of the Yankees’ ace starting pitcher heading into 2026.
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole Will Make Spring Debut Tomorrow Versus Red Sox