New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivered an impressive outing during Friday night's start in the Bronx against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, striking out eight batters over six innings of one-run ball on six hits and one walk. Cole notched his third win of the season on Friday against the Rays, looking to be in vintage form in his first appearance following the All-Star break. The 33-year-old fantasy ace will look to further close his buy-low window and improve on his 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 34:10 K:BB over 29 1/3 innings (six starts) in his next showing, but it will come against a locked-in New York Mets offense on Wednesday. Cole has a 6.64 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in eight starts in his career against the Mets, both his worst lifetime figures against any specific opponent in the major leagues.
Gerrit Cole Looks To Return To Form In Second Half
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole is slated to toe the rubber for the start of the second half of the year in Friday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx. It was an injury-shortened first half for Cole, one that positions the 33-year-old reigning American League Cy Young winner as an obvious buy-low candidate in fantasy leagues after yielding a lackluster 5.40 ERA (5.13 FIP), 1.45 WHIP, and 26:9 K:BB over 23 1/3 innings (five starts) so far this year. In eight appearances versus the Rays since 2022, however, Cole holds a 2.34 ERA with a 64:15 K:BB through 50 innings and will remain a set-and-forget fantasy play in all settings when play resumes on Friday.
New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole turned in an excellent start in his team's 4-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Cole tossed six innings of one-run ball while allowing five hits, striking out seven, and walking one. He was credited with the win to improve his record to 2-1 on the season, to go along with a 5.40 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings of work. After missing the first three months of the season with elbow irritation, Cole appears poised to lead fantasy pitching staffs in the second half of the season.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole looked like his old self on Sunday, tossing five solid innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and picking up the win in an 8-1 victory. Cole allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out six. Maybe more importantly, his fastball velocity was up to 96mph and topped out at 97.6mph, which is much more reminiscent of the ace that has been an elite fantasy option for years. Fantasy owners can breathe easier now and can consider starting him next week against the Boston Red Sox, although some caution is recommended.
New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole was obliterated by the New York Mets in his start on Tuesday and said he intentionally dialed back his velocity because he threw 28 pitches in the first inning and was struggling with his command. Cole said he's healthy, which should ease the concerns of Yankees fans and fantasy managers after the forgettable outing in which he allowed six runs on seven hits (four home runs) while walking four and striking out none in four innings of work. It was just the 33-year-old's second start in 2024 after missing most of the first half due to a right-elbow injury, so Cole is understandably not yet in midseason form despite looking excellent on his minor-league rehab assignment. Last year's American League Cy Young winner will hope to bounce back in his next outing against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays.
Gerrit Cole Gets Shelled, Allows Four Homers Tuesday
New York Yankees Gerrit Cole was anything but sharp in Tuesday's 9-7 loss to the Mets. The 33-year-old was making just his second start of the season after serving time on the injured list with nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. After an encouraging season opener, Cole lasted just four innings in this one, allowing six runs on seven hits (including four home runs) and four walks with no strikeouts. Fantasy managers should not overreact to the poor outing, as Cole is the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and has been one of fantasy's top pitchers for many seasons. He will have a good opportunity to right the ship in his next start, which is scheduled to be at the slumping Blue Jays.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole made his 2024 season debut in the Bronx during Wednesday night's extra-inning loss to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, striking out five hitters over four innings of two-run ball. It was a tough matchup in his first start back for Cole, but he was able to throw 62 pitches in a solid showing overall during Wednesday's no-decision. Look for the 33-year-old reigning American League Cy Young Award winner to be further stretched out in his next projected start for a showdown in the Subway Series opener on Tuesday against the red-hot New York Mets at Citi Field. In two starts against the Mets as a member of the Yankees, Cole has given up five runs with a 14:3 K:BB over 9 1/3 innings. Moreover, Cole's 5.89 ERA for his career against the Mets is by far his worst mark versus any specific team.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is expected to make his first rehab start on Tuesday with Double-A Somerset. This is a big step for the Yankee ace, who has been on the 60-day injured list since March with right elbow inflammation. The 33-year-old performed very well when facing live hitters over the past week and will now embark on the final step in his recovery process. However, the reigning AL Cy Young winner should be expected to make several rehab starts before being activated, setting up a potential return date in late June or early July. Cole posted a stellar 2.63 ERA with a dominant 0.98 WHIP and 48:222 BB:K ratio last season and will immediately slot in as a top pitching option in all fantasy formats.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole's (elbow) next outing could come in a minor-league rehab game on Tuesday, assuming he bounces back from Thursday's live batting practice session well. No matter what level Cole begins his rehab assignment at, the fact that he's on the precipice of returning to game action is a major step forward in his throwing program as he builds his arm back up from right elbow discomfort. If he indeed gets an appearance in the minors on Tuesday, it puts the hard-throwing 33-year-old fantasy superstar firmly on track to rejoin New York's rotation before the end of June. The first-place Yankees certainly aren't going to rush their ace back into the fray, but it's fair to wonder if there's more of a sense of urgency to get Cole back now with upstart right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) heading to the injured list with an indefinite absence on Thursday.
New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) said he felt good on Thursday after throwing 43 pitches and using his entire arsenal during a live batting practice session. Cole said that the next step is for him to recover from this session before possibly going on a minor-league rehab assignment soon. We'll update you when we know of a potential date and location for Cole to begin a rehab assignment. All signs are pointing toward the reigning American League Cy Young winner pitching in games in the minors soon and making his 2024 debut for the Yankees at some point in June, barring setbacks. The 33-year-old ace has been dealing with right-elbow inflammation since spring training and has had a long recovery process, but fantasy managers are beginning to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
