Gerrit Cole Update: Yankees ace set to advance to 'two-up' bullpen sessions after initial rehab stint

The New York Yankees are having a sweet time this season, winning 28 games. They are back on top of the AL East after beating the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, and also thanks to the Baltimore Orioles' struggles against the Toronto Blue Jays.

However, they will become more formidable once the reigning AL Cy Young holder Gerrit Cole joins them. Cole has an early injury break this year. He had a single start in the Grapefruit League before getting sidelined due to an elbow injury.

He didn’t require Tommy John Surgery but got shut down for six to eight weeks in rehab. Cole is now having a bullpen session, and Tuesday’s 36-pitch session was his fourth, following the 29-pitch bullpen session he had on Saturday.

According to Dan Fappiano of ClutchPoints, Cole is planning for a “two-up” bullpen session, in which he will pitch for an inning and will take breaks before throwing more.

When his rehab starts is unknown. The Yankees are being patient with him and want Cole back in perfect shape when he returns.

“Just onward and upward,” Boone said about Cole, via ClutchPoints.

Last year, Cole pitched a career-high 209 innings, which was also the best in the American League. He had a 2.63 ERA in 33 games with 165 ERA+ and 0.981 WHIP, all AL’s best records, but has no set timeline to return.

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Yankees skipper stayed optimistic about the All-Star infielder’s quick recovery

Gerrit Cole wasn’t the only one the New York Yankees missed during their hot campaign. The All-Star infielder DJ LeMahieu is also on Injured List, as he suffered from a right foot soreness in the mid-spring training season.

Although it seemed he would be fine before the Opening Day, the team decided to give him a break, and it extended for weeks now. However, there’s also an update on LeMahiru.

According to Greg Joyce of The New York Post, he’s set to begin his rehab assignment at the Double-A on Thursday or Friday:

“We don't have a hard and fast (number of at-bats) with him, but definitely want him to play games and get some volume under his belt,” Boone said. “Then we'll see how comfortable he is as he goes at-bat wise.”

He hasn’t been in rehab in two months. Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu are focusing on their respective assignments, while the Yankees plan on keeping their streak alive until they return.