February 13, 2026

From Rehab to Reality: Gerrit Cole Takes a Major Step Toward His Return

Yankees

From Rehab to Reality: Gerrit Cole Takes a Major Step Toward His Return

by

The sound alone was enough to stop conversations around Yankees camp.

The pop of the catcher’s mitt. The rhythm of a repeatable delivery. The unmistakable presence of a staff ace reclaiming his mound.

Today, Gerrit Cole threw his first bullpen session of the spring — a milestone that shifts his return from hopeful projection to tangible reality.

For a Yankees team that spent all of 2025 without its anchor, this wasn’t just another rehab step. It was a signal.

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The Road Back

Cole’s journey back began with Tommy John surgery on March 11, 2025, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache with an internal brace procedure. The operation wiped out his entire 2025 season — the first full year of his career lost to injury.

Since then, the Yankees have followed a deliberate, almost protective progression:

  • Mid-2025: Flat-ground throwing program begins
  • Late 2025: Gradual mound work resumes
  • Early 2026: Multiple bullpen sessions, now escalating intensity
  • Next step: Live batting practice

According to reports from around camp, Cole has “hit every marker” in his rehab. The Yankees, however, are resisting any urge to accelerate the timeline.

They’re not chasing April.

They’re protecting October.

Why the Yankees Are Pumping the Brakes

There’s a temptation — from fans, media, and even competitive instinct — to push an ace back onto the mound as soon as he looks ready. But the Yankees are taking a postseason-first approach.

The blueprint isn’t subtle.

Think Shohei Ohtani’s managed return with the Dodgers, when Los Angeles delayed his pitching debut to ensure he was fully built for October. The Yankees appear to be applying the same philosophy with Cole.

If roster flexibility becomes necessary, a 60-day injured list placement could make May 24 a key activation date. The realistic target remains mid-May to early June — a timeline designed to preserve stamina for the stretch run.

This is what smart arrogance looks like: managing for championships, not headlines.

What Cole Means to the 2026 Yankees

One of the loudest offseason criticisms was that the Yankees “ran it back.” But that narrative ignores a massive reality:

Gerrit Cole did not pitch for the Yankees in 2025.

Replacing a Cy Young winner isn’t a roster tweak — it’s a structural change.

Before his injury, Cole’s Yankees résumé spoke for itself:

  • 59–28 record
  • 3.12 ERA (134 ERA+)
  • 915 strikeouts in 759 innings
  • 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner
  • Multiple All-Star selections

Beyond the numbers, he has been the rotation’s tone-setter, workload eater, and clubhouse stabilizer.

At 35, his return is less about recapturing peak velocity and more about restoring identity.

The Uncertainty That Comes With Tommy John

There is no script for a post–Tommy John return — not even for a Cy Young winner.

We’ve seen elite arms come back healthy yet diminished. Others return sharper, smarter, and more efficient. Early projections suggest a cautious 2026 workload — roughly 19 starts and around 115 innings — reflecting typical first-year limitations.

But Cole’s durability prior to surgery was elite. Nearly 2,000 innings before his first UCL reconstruction is rare mileage for a modern power pitcher.

The Yankees aren’t betting on nostalgia.

They’re betting on professionalism, preparation, and a pitcher who has built a career on adjustments.

A Bullpen Session That Meant More Than It Looked

In February, bullpen sessions rarely make headlines.

This one did.

Because for the first time since surgery shut down his 2025 season, Gerrit Cole wasn’t just rehabbing — he was preparing.

Preparing to face hitters.
Preparing to anchor a rotation.
Preparing to remind the league what the Yankees look like when their ace is standing on the mound.

The return isn’t here yet.

But after today in Tampa, it’s no longer a question of if.

It’s a matter of when.


Felix Pantaleón Avatar

Felix Pantaleón

Founder

Born in Manhattan, New York, Felix Pantaleon is a Dominican-American digital content creator and the founder of NYYNEWS.com, the first and longest-running independent New York Yankees content creator platform, active since 2005.

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