Cole and Rodón Continue Closing in on Return to Bigs

Bridgewater, New Jersey – With the New York Yankees using a MLB best 2.70 staff ERA to power out to a 24-11 start, the Yankees pitching staff is on the brink of getting even better. All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are currently scheduled to continue their rehab assignments Tuesday for Hudson Valley and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre respectively after making rehab starts on back-to-back days at TD Bank Ballpark for Somerset. An already superb unit is close to welcoming its two most accomplished arms back into the fold.

Cole pitched a season-high 5.1 innings on 60 pitches for the Patriots in the back end of a doubleheader against Portland on April 29. The 2023 AL Cy Young award winner allowed three earned runs on three hits, including two homers after sitting down the first 11 batters of the game. A two-run homer by Johanfran Garcia in the fourth inning followed by a Max Ferguson solo shot in the fifth accounted for the damage on Cole’s line. The 35-year-old righty fanned three batters and did not issue a walk for the second straight start.

Cole said postgame he was content with his ability to fill up the zone, limit large misses and find consistency from his entire arsenal.

“Even though it’s one start, there’s five days of process that you’ve got to execute and I’m confident that I’m going to execute these things really, really well,” Cole said. “It’s been a while since I’ve done them. It may seem like the same thing over and over again, but that’s the point.”

The Yankees ace last toed a big-league mound in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series before undergoing Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2025 campaign. It’s been a long road back for the six-time All-Star, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter with each pitch Cole has thrown over his first three rehab outings.

Since beginning his rehab assignment on April 17, Cole has allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits while fanning 10 batters over 14.1 innings of work across three outings between Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley.

“I’m just trying to throw as many strikes as I can, get as deep as I can and get as much work in as I can,” Cole said.

Rodón made his second rehab start and first of the season for Somerset on Thursday night after tossing 4.1 innings for Hudson Valley on April 24. The southpaw was sharp and efficient in filling up the strike zone – allowing five hits and just one earned run while striking out eight Portland batters across a season-high 75 pitches. Rodón fanned five batters on the changeup, an offering in which he threw just 16% of the time in 2025 and admitted he intentionally incorporated in more during his second outing.

“Definitely a lot more changeups in this one,” Rodón said. “It was good - just trying to get location with it and the movement was right.”

The three-time MLB All-Star underwent surgery last October to remove loose bodies and a bone spur from his left elbow that has sidelined him from big league action since. A right hamstring setback during his ramp up process in March pushed his rehab back slightly, but Rodón feels like he is nearing the point of being able to make an impact in the Bronx.

With two starts on the road back to the Yankees under his belt, Rodón has now pitched 9.2 innings of work and allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out 12 batters. He is yet to allow a walk.

“I feel close [to big league ready],” Rodón said. “Obviously, I want to be pitching for my boys up there and try to win ball games. I’m ready when they tell me they need me.”

Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer

Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 14th season on the beat covering the Patriots for SomersetPatriots.com. Throughout his career, Matt has contributed to MLB.com, YES Network and Pinstriped Prospects. When he’s not at the ballpark, Matt enjoys traveling with his wife Kimberly, watching Jets football and collecting sports cards.