Your bag is empty.
The New York Yankees, pending today’s result against the Los Angeles Angels, are just 10-8, and quite frankly, they’re lucky to be that. They’ve sputtered to that start, including a five-game losing streak. Their two most recent wins were stunning comeback walk-offs that the Angels would win nine times out of 10.
Though their pitching, which has been pretty great, is not really the issue, there are better pitchers on their way back. The Yankees’ staff has been ravaged by injuries thus far. However, reinforcements were always on the way, and their return is apparently not far off.
Gerrit Cole nearing return for Yankees
Gerrit Cole hasn’t pitched since the World Series in 2024. The Yankees ace went down last spring with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, and the team has been cautious with his return. It’s his second arm issue since the beginning of the 2024 season, which is right after he won the AL Cy Young.
Because of their caution, Cole hasn’t returned despite being out for over a year. He was initially targeting a May or June return, but it’s going to be much sooner than that. He’s about to make his first rehab start after throwing a handful of live innings in Spring Training.
“I have no complaints,” Cole said earlier this week after a live batting practice session the day before. “Stamina was good. Pitches are fine — they’re good, they’re good. I’m being a little nitpicky, but everything’s good.”
“I think we’ll get him to a higher threshold initially, but it’s one step at a time,” manager Aaron Boone added. “Looking forward to him starting on Friday and we’ll build him from there and then even when he gets back to us we’ll probably be conservative with him but we’ll probably get him to a higher threshold initially.”
Carlos Rodon is coming back, too
The Yankees were supposed to have a true three-headed monster in the rotation. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon form as good a trio as any baseball team has. So far, it’s been Fried and neither of the other two. He’s been good, but he’s one pitcher.
With Cole on his way back, the Yanks will get better. But having Rodon back will push their rotation over the top. He had offseason surgery after pitching all of 2025, and he is also ramping up to a soon return.
Rodon hasn’t had as much progress as Cole, but Aaron Boone said the pitcher is going to throw another live batting practice session this weekend. The Yankees are opting for this instead of a rehab assignment, so he’s not far from a return, either. The lefty tossed 50 pitches in a simulated setting this week, too.
Anthony Volpe is ramping up
Anthony Volpe struggled last year with a wRC+ well below league average and his defense, which was Gold-Glove-caliber in his 2023 rookie season, took a step back, too. His return might not seem like much of a boon, but his replacement, Jose Caballero, has struggled, too.
Caballero’s versatility and ability as a pinch-runner is what the Yanks love so much, but he’s been restricted to shortstop. With Volpe back, he could play the infield or the outfield, and he can pinch-run in late-game situations and give players off days.
Volpe had shoulder surgery this offseason, but he’s on a rehab assignment. He will play in Double-A this weekend before moving up to Triple-A next week. After that, the Yankees may well bring their former top prospect up.
“I want to run the bases,” Volpe said. “I want to dive. Those are kind of the checkpoints that I want to see out of myself. And then get into the flow of the season. Go night to day, go back to back. Get my innings up. I want to do that as soon as I can.”
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