Gerrit Cole Injury Update, Timeline for 2026 MLB Season Debut Provided by Yankees' Aaron Boone

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't rushing ace Gerrit Cole back to an MLB mound.

Cole, who missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, made his first rehab start Friday for the Double-A Somerset Patriots.

Boone told reporters Saturday the right-hander will likely have "several more" appearances before he's back in the Yankees' starting rotation.

"We probably want him to get up to a certain amount and repeat that even once he gets up there," the manager said. "Nothing's imminent here. We'll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time."

Cole worked 4.1 innings in Somerset's 9-8 victory over the Reading Fightin Phils. He struck out three, walked one, and allowed three earned runs. As far as rehab starts go, it was an encouraging step.

Fortunately for New York, the rotation has done very well without both Cole and Carlos Rodón, who has also yet to make his season debut.

Yankees starting pitchers are fourth in xERA (3.38) and second in walk rate (2.39 per nine innings), according to FanGraphs. Cam Schlittler has been particularly dominant with 36 strikeouts and six earned runs allowed over 27.2 innings.

The team has been aiming for Cole to resume normal pitching duties by late May or early June, and Boone's remarks align with that timeline. A few more turns through the rotation in the minors would put the 2023 Cy Young winner on track for a mid-May return at the earliest.

It's certainly not ideal that Cole would miss the first few months, but there isn't much he or the Yankees can do about it. His recovery appears to be progressing as well as can be expected.