Gerrit Cole continues to make progress in his rehabilitation from a right elbow injury, reaching a significant milestone on Tuesday by throwing 50 pitches from 120 feet. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Cole could advance to throwing off the mound sometime next week.
Cole has been sidelined with nerve inflammation and edema since early March and has taken a day-to-day approach to his rehab. He threw on Monday and Tuesday, will rest on Wednesday, and is scheduled to throw again on Thursday if he experiences no setbacks.
Boone indicated that Cole’s progression to bullpen sessions is imminent but did not specify an exact timeline. The veteran pitcher acknowledged that he is unsure where he would be in his rehab if it were the offseason but aims to avoid both rushing and delaying his recovery.
Cole’s expected return to the Yankees’ rotation is still uncertain, with the initial projection of a full six-week equivalent of spring training still in place. However, the timeline could vary depending on the number of bullpen sessions he has accumulated before officially joining the team.
In other news, infield prospect Jorbit Vivas has been activated off the injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, making his first appearance since suffering a left orbital fracture during spring training.
