SARASOTA, Fla. – Gerrit Cole faced hitters on Friday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring, tossing an inning of live batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
Showcasing a new over-the-head windup that he has suggested could carry into games, Cole threw about 20 pitches, with his fastball sitting between 95-96 mph. He faced Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Jasson Domínguez during the session.
“It sounds like it was really good,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yanks’ spring opener against the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium.
The Yankees expect Cole to return to Major League action in late May or in June, though it remains possible he may log a few innings near the end of the spring schedule.
Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award when he went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA in 33 starts. In 2024, he was 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, helping the Yankees capture the franchise’s 41st pennant.
“I’m a confident guy,” Cole said recently. “I have high expectations for my execution internally. But overall, in terms of performance and expectations, I don’t really have any set goals or numbers, or things like that. It’s been working really well to just stay day-to-day and execute the task at hand.
“I think the challenge is to continue to do that as things get more exciting and as things start to get rolling more and more. Just continue to trust what has got you here and not get ahead of that.”
Cole said he expects a full recovery to take 14-18 months and that the rehab has been “long and tedious.”
“As we get closer to the end, things start to gain a little momentum,” he said. “Overall, the process has been really good in terms of executing and staying present from day to day.”
Short story
Ryan McMahon is among the game’s best defensive third basemen, with Boone saying, “You watch him, and he was born to pick up a ground ball.”
McMahon might do some of that a few feet to his left this spring. The Yankees are exploring having him work out at shortstop in hopes of adding flexibility to the roster.
“[Former Rockies manager] Buddy Black threw me over there a couple of times, but it’s not something I’ve done a bunch of,” McMahon said. “But I’m a ballplayer. I think I can go out there and catch the ball, and we’ll see how it looks.”
McMahon made two appearances at shortstop for Colorado in 2020, totaling three innings. Oswaldo Cabrera is recovering from a severe ankle injury sustained last May, though Boone said Cabrera is moving well early in camp.
Paul DeJong, Amed Rosario and Max Schuemann are among the other utility options who could see time at shortstop this spring.
Acquired from Colorado in July, McMahon batted .208/.308/.333 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 54 games for New York. He made swing changes over the offseason, narrowing his stance to improve hip rotation in hopes of cutting his strikeouts (62 in 159 at-bats with the Yanks) while adding power.
“I’m just trying to put myself in a better position to move through my swing a little bit better,” McMahon said. “There are some things I’ve done in the past and some things that the coaches here have pointed out. I’m just trying to get to that spot a little bit more efficiently.”
On deck
Judge is scheduled to play his first game of the spring on Saturday as the Yankees open their home Grapefruit League slate against the Tigers at Steinbrenner Field.
