Yankees ace officially set for Double-A rehab assignment on Tuesday

Manager Aaron Boone confirms Gerrit Cole will start for Somerset Patriots in pitching return

Mar 1, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) takes out starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is inching one step closer to returning to the Bronx Bombers.

Cole will start Tuesday for the Yankees Double-A affiliate, Somerset Patriots, according to manager Aaron Boone. The scheduled Bridgewater, New Jersey rehab assignment will be the first time Cole pitches in live game action since returning to the mound for periodic throwing sessions, which began back on May 4.

Gerrit Cole will start Tuesday for @SOMPatriots, Aaron Boone said.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 2, 2024

The expectation is Cole will need approximately 4-6 weeks from this point on after starting the 2024 regular season on the 60-day injured list (March 28) with right elbow inflammation after feeling discomfort during spring training. The defending American League Cy Young Award winner, when asked if it was possible to return sometime in June, based on the original reported timetable, said: “I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Boone added Cole will need a couple of rehab starts. Depending on how Cole looks in his rehab starts, a return mid-June, possibly in the June 14-16 series against the Boston Red Sox could be a possibility, according to Bryan Hoch.

Gerrit Cole will need at least a couple of Minor League starts, Aaron Boone said. So if that's two, he could line up for the June 14-16 series at Boston.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 2, 2024

During this stretch of Cole’s rehabilitation, he has pitched to live hitters a total of three times. The first live session occurred on May 21 at Yankee Stadium (21 total pitches), with the next two coming in Tampa on May 25 (30 pitches) and 43 at the Yankees’ complex this past Thursday.

The Yankees placed starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt on the 15-day IL retroactive to May 27 with a right lat strain this past Friday, May 30. For the first time this season, New York’s rotation is slightly thinner, without both Cole and Schmidt. The anticipation is that once Cole and Schmidt return, the organization will be tasked with a difficult decision moving an arm to the bullpen.

Entering Sunday, New York (41-19) leads the AL East by two full games over the Baltimore Orioles and is one half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies (41-18) for the best record in the Majors. The Yankees take a four-game winning streak into their series finale against the San Francisco Giants, attempting the sweep at Oracle Park with Nestor Cortes on the mound.