When is Gerrit Cole Coming Back - Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has not played a single game this year. During his first and only appearance during spring training, he suffered an elbow injury, and the Yankees shut him down. 

Surprisingly, the AL East team has done fairly well to start the season in Cole's absence. They are currently 22-13 and are just 0.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who lead the division. The Yankees rotation featuring Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil is currently the ninth-best in the league based on their 3.43 ERA. 

With the Yankees' rotation performing well, will the club delay Cole's return? What's the latest update on the reigning AL Cy Young winner? Let's take a look at his injury update.

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Gerrit Cole Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

As per the latest reports, Gerrit Cole threw off the mound on Saturday. This was the star pitcher's first return to the mound since the team shut him down in March.

As of now, no clear-cut timeline has been provided regarding Cole's return, but it is expected that the 33-year-old will make his season debut in mid-June. He will be eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on May 27, and it will be interesting to see what the Yankees will do. 

Since the Yankees' other starting pitchers have stepped up in Cole's absence, the team has no reason to rush back their ace. With the addition of Marcus Stroman, Juan Soto, and Alex Verdugo, the Yankees are a World Series contender this year and will hope that Cole remains healthy come October

Gerrit Cole throwing in the outfield pic.twitter.com/wU5Rx6YC0U

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 3, 2024

Gerrit Cole Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Gerrit Cole pitched 2.0 innings in his sole spring training appearance, allowing four hits, one home run, and three runs. However, that won't matter once he's healthy and pitching for the Yankees in June.

Last year, he won the AL Cy Young Award with a 15-4 record and an ERA of 2.63. In 2023, he pitched 209.0 innings in 33 games and struck out 222 batters. He allowed 6.76 hits per nine innings, an incredible 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings, and only 2.07 walks per nine innings.

Gerrit Cole may take some time this year to return to his usual self, but with a significant injury already behind him, the six-time All-Star is expected to come in handy for fantasy managers later this year.

High-quality video of Gerrit Cole throwing off the mound for the first time in his rehab process pic.twitter.com/NFSoSG7NOd

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) May 4, 2024

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