Gerrit Cole still pitches every night before he goes to bed, at least in his mind.
That is as close as the Yankees’ former AL Cy Young winner will get to a game this season.
But with Tuesday marking eight weeks since he underwent Tommy John surgery on his prized right elbow, Cole has made it through the most intensive stage of his recovery.
He has been free of his brace for two and a half weeks and finally has some range of motion back.
So the veteran spent Sunday’s game in the dugout for the first time this season and then spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since undergoing the surgery that will keep him sidelined at least until the start of the next season.
“It stunk,” Cole said in a 21-minute session inside the Yankees’ clubhouse, a red scar extending from his right forearm up to up near his bicep. “Yeah, it stinks. But now that I’m stronger and less worried about getting bumped and things like that, it’s nice to be able to be back and be able to come around more and be in the dugout. So I’ve been here every day, six days a week. But now I kind of get to extend my time while I’m here and be around the guys more, which is great.”
Cole, whose surgery included a reconstruction of his UCL and the use of an internal brace, is expecting a recovery time of around 14 months. If everything goes perfectly and he attacks his rehab aggressively, that could mean returning to a major league mound by next May.
If everything goes perfectly and he attacks his rehab aggressively, that could mean returning to a mound by next April.
But in the meantime, Cole is focused on the smaller milestones along the way. The biggest one on his mind is picking up a ball and throwing in August for the first time, which he said will bring back some normalcy.
“I hope it comes back, maybe like a fresh new set of tires,” Cole said. “That’s the best hope. Just a pitstop that took a little longer than you had hoped for.”
