Gerrit Cole Pitches in First Rehab Start After Surgery

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole took a significant step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery Friday night, pitching 4 1/3 innings in his first minor league rehabilitation start for Double-A Somerset against the Reading Fightin Phils, a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate, at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

The 35-year-old right-hander, sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in March of that year, allowed three earned runs on three hits, including a two-run homer to Bryson Ware in the second inning and an RBI double by Dylan Campbell. Cole issued one walk and struck out three, throwing 36 of 44 pitches for strikes. His fastball reached 97 mph early, settling in the mid-90s, while he mixed in curveballs, changeups and sliders. He retired the first three batters on 14 pitches but faced a lengthy delay after Somerset erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first, which took over 20 minutes.

Cole exited with Somerset leading 7-3 after fielding a grounder for the first out of the fifth. The outing capped a 534-day gap since his last major league appearance in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. Prior to Friday, he had made two...