Gerrit Cole is meant to be a reassuring presence for New York Yankees fans, but he caused some concern when he was scratched from his scheduled start against the Philadelphia Phillies. This raised fears about a possible recurrence of his elbow issues, especially with the season and playoffs approaching.
Thankfully, Cole returned to the mound in Sunday afternoon’s 4-3 extra-innings win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Though he wasn’t at his best, the 2023 American League Cy Young winner performed well enough to alleviate fans’ worries. He pitched 5.2 innings, throwing 91 pitches (60 for strikes), allowed two runs, and struck out four batters. While he struggled initially, he found his rhythm as the game went on. The Yankees’ offense supported him with Juan Soto hitting his 28th home run of the season and DJ LeMahieu delivering a walk-off hit in the 10th inning.
Cole acknowledged he has room for improvement but expressed relief to be in good health after dealing with general body fatigue and a stomach virus the previous week. “I’m certainly in a better spot physically than I was the other day,” Cole said postgame, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “Any player at any time will tell you to take that. It was definitely beneficial to have a few extra days, for sure.”
In summary, Cole’s return to the mound, though not flawless, was a positive sign for the Yankees as they head towards the end of the season.