The Yankees recently floated the possibility of Gerrit Cole appearing in Grapefruit League games before camp breaks, and he's at least taken the first necessary step toward achieving that goal.
The veteran ace, nearly a year removed from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2025, completed his first bullpen session of spring training down in Tampa on Friday.
Cole sported a new beard and debuted an over-the-head windup on the mound. With coaches and teammates observing nearby, his fastball velocity consistently sat in the mid-90s, reaching as high as 96 mph.
"It felt really good. It was a well-executed pen, overall," Cole said after his session. "[My arm] feels different than it's been in quite some time... I'm just doing exactly what I've been told. When I'm told to push, I push. When I'm told not to, I don't. I really haven't deviated, hardly at all, from my targets."
The Yankees' level of excitement with Cole's progress is warranted. He checked off every box in his lengthy rehab, logging a handful of offseason bullpen sessions in California without any hitches before arriving to camp in Florida.
What remains unclear, though, is Cole's return date. The Yankees are hoping to see the 35-year-old back in pinstripes by May or June, and when asked for an update on his recovery timeline, Cole said that he's on track with the data-backed target window of 14-18 months.
"We've had a lot of discussions between myself and the Yankees," Cole said. "It's always been, with a full Tommy John reconstruction surgery, the target is always between 14-18 months. That really hasn't changed."
As far off as May and June sound now for rejoining the rotation, Cole is still trending in the right direction. Earlier this week, manager Aaron Boone said that the former AL Cy Young winner could face hitters in a few weeks, and if all goes according to plan then, there's the option of game action.
The Yanks will obviously err on the side of caution with Cole, who has always been meticulous about his routine and upfront about his health. After all, the club can't afford to be reckless with a volatile pitching staff that's already banged up.
No matter when Cole makes his 2026 debut, it'll be a welcomed sight for the Yankees. He missed the first half of 2024 with elbow inflammation, finishing the year with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 17 starts (95.0 innings). He also produced a 0.71 ERA across two World Series games.
Cole said his long layoff from the game has "reaffirmed" some of his core values. And while his recovery process from Tommy John surgery has paled in comparison to past stints on the injured list, he's embraced a positive mindset.
"The work during this rehab process is different than what I typically would be doing when healthy. Yet, I've attacked the process the same way as I attack the regular work," Cole said. "That has produced good results, so it just gives me confidence that I go about my business the right way."
Gerrit Cole's first bullpen of the spring pic.twitter.com/WhPoU1woht
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 13, 2026