Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Gives Honest Assessment on Ace Pitcher's Rehab Timeline

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an honest outlook on the next steps for the team's rehabbing ace, who is close to returning to the big-league club.

Jun 4, 2024; Bridgewater, NJ, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole wraps his arm in the dugout during the third inning of a MLB rehab assignment with the Somerset Patriots against the Hartford Yard Goats at TD Bank Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are getting closer to having their superstar ace back in an already elite rotation.

However, don't expect the team to rush their prized arm during his rehab assignment, which just began on Tuesday night at Double-A Somerset.

As manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Wednesday, reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole will likely require "at least a couple more" rehab starts before he is deemed ready to rejoin the Yankees.

Aaron Boone says that Gerrit Cole will need "at least a couple more" rehab starts before returning to the Yankees: pic.twitter.com/Ebfnd2XIXB

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Cole made his first rehab start in Somerset last night and went 3.1 innings on 45 pitches, allowing two hits, no walks, and notching five strikeouts. He also hit 97 mph on the radar gun on several occasions.

After the game, Cole made it clear that he feels close, but to rush back after one rehab appearance would not be a responsible route.

Even with right-handed starter Clarke Schmidt going down with a lat injury that will keep him from throwing for 4-to-6 weeks, the level of urgency for Cole's return has not changed because the pitcher and organization know they have to be realistic with his timeline.

That being said, Cole should be back in the Bronx in the coming weeks. This is not only significant for the 33-year-old, but the Yankees as a whole, who are tied for the best record in baseball (43-19) with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Without Cole, who has been out since Spring Training with an elbow injury, the Yankees' starting rotation has shattered expectations by posting a 30-12 record and 2.73 ERA as a group (best mark in the American League). This is thanks to the now injured Schmidt, as well as Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, and early AL Rookie of the Year favorite and Cy Young candidate Luis Gil.

The Yankees' offense has been just as good, if not better, behind AL MVP favorites Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who hit back-to-back in what has been a lethal lineup.

So, the return of Cole appears to be imminent, but the Yankees are wisely taking things slow. The hope is they can get their ace back later in the month, and he will then dominate the rest of the way as they push for their first World Series title since 2009.