Yankees' Gerrit Cole to Throw off Mound amid Elbow Injury Rehab, Aaron Boone Says

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that ace Gerrit Cole is expected to throw off the mound on Saturday as he continues his recovery, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

Cole has missed the beginning of the year due to elbow issues that he suffered in March, as the Yankees placed him on the 60-day injured list before the regular season started.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post previously reported that 33-year-old will throw his first bullpen session on Saturday and will be targeting a return in "mid June."

On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Cole was throwing off flat ground and was expected to begin getting back on the mound "sometime next week." Given the latest update from Boone, it appears that the right-hander's recovery is progressing according to schedule.

The elbow issues first started when Cole revealed that he was feeling discomfort in his throwing arm throughout spring training, as he was experiencing problems with his recovery after outings.

It was a tough blow for the Yankees, with the six-time All-Star coming off a season in which he earned an American League Cy Young Award. Cole accumulated a 15-4 record to go with a 2.63 ERA in 33 starts, racking up 222 strikeouts compared to just 48 walks.

Despite his absence, New York has gotten off to a commendable start by opening the season with a 20-13 record. The team currently holds the No. 2 spot in the AL East standings, sitting one game behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees' have also gotten impressive production from their rotation, as they rank No. 7 among all teams with an ERA of 3.48 from starting pitchers (via MLB.com).

New York will be looking forward to Cole's eventual return from rehab as the team attempts to return to the postseason following a disappointing 82-80 record in 2023.