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.
“Everything felt good. I had a good bit of fun,” Cole said Saturday. “It was the first day where I was unregulated. The mindset was performance. It’s nice when you get to that point and your objective is to go execute and not think about anything else. It was rewarding and refreshing.”
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.
“It didn’t feel like anything other than how it used to feel, just going out there and competing,” Cole said. “I think the threat of the ball coming back at you elevates the stakes a little bit. There’s a natural reaction to that. I’m pretty built up and things have been looking pretty good.”
Cole said he expects a full recovery to take 14-18 months and that the rehab has been “long and tedious.”
“It’s great to feel great,” he said.
Short story
Ryan McMahon is among the game’s best defensive third basemen, with manager Aaron 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.
Carlos Lagrange, the Yanks’ No. 2 prospect and No. 79 overall according to MLB Pipeline, will start for New York. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET (watch LIVE on MLB.TV).