Gerrit Cole finally returned to the mound after missing 75 games due to elbow inflammation.
He made his first appearance of the 2024 season on Wednesday night against the Orioles, showcasing solid performance over four innings.
Despite a bumpy start with two doubles and a run in the first inning, he quickly found his rhythm.
Cole’s stats for the game were: 4 innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, 2 runs (both earned), 5 strikeouts, and 1 walk. He threw a total of 62 pitches, with 40 being strikes.
Here’s a look at strikeouts four and five:
Gerrit Cole ⛽️
4th and 5th Ks
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja)
His fastball reached up to 97.5 mph, averaging around 95.1 mph. While that’s slightly below his usual speed, it’s not worrisome since he’s still getting back into form. He also used his knuckle-curve, cutter, slider (one clocked at over 90 mph), and changeup effectively .
Yankees’ Rotation Without Cole:
Interestingly enough, even without their ace for most of the season so far, Yankees starters have been exceptional. They lead MLB with a rotation ERA of just 2.86! Only the Phillies and Padres rotations have more strikeouts than them.
Fans might think this shows just how deep and talented this Yankees pitching staff really is.
Luis Gil has been particularly impressive with an AL-leading ERA of just 2.03! But now that Cole is back in action, it looks like things are only going to get better for New York’s rotation.
Cole was pulled from the game after giving up a single to Cedric Mullins in the fifth inning when the score was tied at one apiece. Reliever Ron Marinaccio couldn’t keep Mullins from scoring as Ramón Urías hit a two-run homer off him .
Assuming no changes in schedule, Cole’s next start will be against the Mets on Tuesday at Citi Field.
What do you think about Gerrit Cole’s return?
