It’s safe to say that Gerrit Cole is primed and ready for a return to the big league mound.
The New York Yankees ace was stellar in what could be his final minor league rehab outing with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, pitching 4.1 innings while striking out 10 and allowing one unearned run on two hits against the Rochester Red Wings.
The 33-year-old gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth after Red Wings third baseman Jack Dunn got onto second base due to a catching error by first baseman Ben Rice. Dunn would then be brought home by a single from Riley Adams.
Otherwise, the reigning AL Cy Young winner was dominant, only giving up a hit to Dunn in the first inning and throwing 46 of his 70 pitches for strikes.
This was Cole’s first rehab start at triple-A after making two appearances in double-A with the Somerset Patriots.
Cole has been working his way back from nerve inflammation and edema that forced him to shut down in spring training and start the year on the injured list.
With another strong outing, Cole looks ready to rejoin New York’s rotation for the home series against the Baltimore Orioles from June 18-20.
Pitchers have 30 days to return to the MLB roster once starting their rehab appearance. The latest he could rejoin the Yankees would be July 2.
The Yankees currently have the best record in the majors at 49-22 and have the best team ERA at 2.90. They also have the best run differential in MLB at 127 heading into Friday’s games.