Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One of baseball's most accomplished pitchers has returned to form after a major injury and is set to start a crucial series for his team this week.
- His manager highlights how the veteran is already managing high-pressure situations with the precision that once made him an MVP candidate.
- The team's playoff hopes now rest on his ability to stay consistent, while the front office shifts its trade deadline focus elsewhere.
Gerrit Cole has the look of a premier pitcher again, and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is not surprised.
Cole’s rehab from Tommy John elbow surgery did not have any snags. Still, Cole missed all of last season and the first two months of 2026, and it would have been fair to expect him to be rusty upon his return — even though he had thrown 29 innings across six rehab starts.
However, Cole has picked up where he left off as one of the game’s best starters, going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his first four big-league outings. Cole is scheduled to start on Tuesday night when the Yankees host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game series between division leaders at Yankee Stadium.
“Gerrit crushed the rehab, and I feel like he’s in a really good place right now,” Boone said. “He’s throwing the ball very well, but his first few starts have mostly been excellent. Gerrit, he’s got a great feel for what he’s doing. I feel like he's managing game situations well. So, I’ve been excited because everybody knows what he means to this team.”
What the Yankees expect from Gerrit Cole
Cole is indeed an integral part of the Yankees. They are going to need him to pitch well as they pursue their first World Series title since 2009.
He is a true No. 1 in a talented rotation that includes left-handers Carlos Rodon and Ryan Weathers and right-handers Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Lefty Max Fried, who led MLB with 19 wins last season, could be back next month as he recovers from a bone bruise in his elbow.
Cole certainly understands the pressure. He is in his seventh season with the Yankees, who signed him to a nine-year, $324-million contract — then the largest deal given to a pitcher in baseball history — to lead them to their 28th World Series championship.
Cole has handled the expectations with aplomb. Since joining the Yankees in 2020, he has a 60-29 record with a 3.10 ERA in 129 starts. Cole also won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023, his last full healthy season.
What Gerrit Cole expects from himself
While Cole is confident in his ability to help the Yankees win it all in 2026, he also candidly admitted to FanSided that he has yet to regain the feeling of invincibility. After all, his surgery consisted of harvesting a ligament from another part of his body and transplanting it into the elbow.
“I’m excited to be out there, but I didn’t know what I was going to get when I came all the way back,” Cole said. “I was just pretty much ready for anything. I knew I was going to have to fly by the seat of my pants and trust my instincts.”
So far, things have been good for Cole, and he knows the percentage of pitchers who return to normal following a first TJ surgery is high. Yet Cole also knows there could be some potholes still ahead.
“The percentages are definitely in your favor, which is kind of a miracle considering how aggressive the surgery is,” Cole said. “However, the recovery isn’t always linear, and the first year back can present its own unique set of challenges.
“So, I think it's important to just kind of be where your feet are, take it one start at a time, because you don’t know how you're going to feel in three weeks. So, you just stick within the five days you got (in between starts) and don’t look too far ahead.”
How Gerrit Cole’s return impacts Yankees trade deadline
While Cole is approaching the season in five-day blocks, it’s fun to look further ahead to the trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Unlike most contenders, the Yankees don’t need to add another starter now that Cole is back and Fried is on the mend. They also have highly touted prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luus Gil is on the IL with shoulder inflammation.
The Yankees’ deadline wish list is topped by a closer, a catcher and maybe a third baseman. They are also open to at least considering dealing for a shortstop. New York also has more starting pitching prospects at Double-A Somerset whom they could offer in trades: Chase Hampton, Ben Hess and Cade Smith.
However, Cole's healthy return has already been a big addition.
“It was tough not being able to pitch for a full season,” Cole said. “I was lucky I had my kids to kind of occupy my mind and take over my priorities for the summer. It would have been a lot harder without them. And I'm also lucky that the club let me rehab in New York and be around the team, and I had such great support from everyone in the organization. So, those were all contributing factors to how well things have gone for me.”
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