The 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole, finally made his first start of the season on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, earning a standing applause from the crowd at Yankees Stadium.
Returning from an elbow injury that delayed his debut, Cole was solid. The 33-year-old allowed two earned runs off three hits and posted five strikeouts after throwing 62 pitches, leaving in the fifth inning.
Cole clearly wanted to continue, but as Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus stated, there will be “watchful eyes” on the team’s ace.
“We certainly want Gerrit Cole for the entire season,” Ausmus told reporters via the YES Network. “But this is a great first ste, because we need him back in the rotation, and it’s good to have him here.”
In March, Cole reported weakness in his throwing arm, prompting the team to send him for an MRI. Yankees fans held their breaths, but the six-time All-Star avoided disaster when news broke that the injury wasn’t season-ending and would only keep him out for a few months.
Nevertheless, the Yankees placed Cole on the 60-day IL. He didn’t make his first rehab start until June 5, allowing two hits while striking out four over 3.1 innings for Double-A Somerset Patriots.
Cole’s absence led many to believe the Yankees rotation would struggle, but the opposite has been true. New York entered the day with the lowest ERA (3.01) in baseball.
Meanwhile, the Yankees own the best record in baseball (51-24). With a healthy Cole, there’s no telling where they could go from here.Â