Yankees' Gerrit Cole Says He's Targeting June 1 Return amid Elbow Injury Rehab

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has a target date of June 1 for his return, the pitcher told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Cole was placed on the 60-day injured list on Thursday due to elbow inflammation. The 33-year-old made just one Grapefruit League start in 2024, allowing three earned runs in only two innings pitched.

He played in a simulated game six days later before he was shut down to undergo further testing on his elbow.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained to reporters on March 11 that Cole was having issues with his recovery between starts, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The six-time All-Star compared the feeling to the fatigue that he experiences after throwing 100 pitches in a regular-season game.

Five days later, Cole confirmed that he would go "three to four weeks" without throwing.

"Three to four weeks no throw, and we'll go from there," he said, per Hoch. "I think we determined that we just got a little too hot a little too quick this spring."

It won't be easy for the Yankees to navigate their upcoming schedule without Cole, as he's coming off a 2023 season that ended with an American League Cy Young Award. In 33 starts, he accumulated a 15-4 record to go with a 2.63 ERA. He racked up 222 strikeouts compared to just 48 walks in 209 innings.

Despite his absence, New York still grabbed an Opening Day victory by defeating the Houston Astros 5-4 on Thursday. Starting pitcher Nestor Cortés Jr. was shaky, though, allowing five hits and four earned runs in five innings.

The Yankees have their sights set on a return to the postseason after a relatively disappointing record of 82-80 in 2023, but they'll likely need Cole back as soon as possible to properly contend for the AL East crown.