Gerrit Cole is officially set to make his long-awaited return to a big-league mound for the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Following a grueling year of rehab from Tommy John surgery, the ace will throw one inning against the Boston Red Sox, but he preached patience ahead of this milestone in his recovery.
“I’m excited to be playing the game, and I’m excited that I did all those things well to give us this opportunity too,” Cole told the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. “So, it’s kind of a big deal, but it’s kind of just the next step in the process.”
The confirmation comes at a pivotal juncture of the spring training schedule as teams finalize their Opening Day rosters. Cole’s successful progression toward game action suggests his recovery is tracking perfectly toward a late-May or early-June return to the Yankees‘ rotation.
Beyond his own progress, Cole has spent the spring mentoring top pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange, whose triple-digit velocity has stunned teammates in camp.
Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait.
Cole explains systematic return to form
He reiterated to The Post that his focus remains on long-term health over immediate spring results.
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“It’s kind of the next step,” Cole noted. “The last batting practice session was really productive, but there’s a lot of just sitting here and waiting for the body to respond, so it will be good to finally face an opposing jersey.”
Yankees vs. Red Sox: Projected spring lineups
With Cole confirmed for his one-inning stint, the Yankees are expected to field a lineup featuring several regular starters to provide their ace with maximum defensive support.
Projected Yankees Lineup:
- Trent Grisham CF
- Cody Bellinger LF
- Giancarlo Stanton DH
- Ben Rice 1B
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2B
- Ryan McMahon 3B
- Austin Wells C
- Jose Caballero SS
- Seth Brown RF
- Starting Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (1.0 Inning limit) followed by Luis Gil.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are expected to counter with a mix of roster hopefuls and bullpen arms. Boston is likely to utilize a “bullpen day” started by Justin Slaten or Greg Weissert to match Cole’s abbreviated outing.
Projected Red Sox Lineup:
- Jarren Duran LF
- Trevor Story SS
- Triston Casas 1B
- Masataka Yoshida DH
- Ceddanne Rafaela CF
- Marcelo Mayer 2B
- Connor Wong C
- Caleb Durbin 3B
- Rob Refsnyder RF
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Slaten (Opener) followed by Johan Oviedo.
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