Yankees notes: Cole, Dominguez, LeMahieu

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole He spoke to reporters (including MLB.com Brian Hoch) about his rehabilitation from inflammation in the right elbow, which has prevented him from making his debut in 2024 until this point. Cole noted to reporters that he threw a 29-pitch practice session before the club’s game against the Rays this afternoon.

“Fastball profiles were good, location was good,” Cole said of the session. He added that his speed, which averaged 89 mph, was “where we wanted it” at this stage of his rehab.

As for next steps, Hoch notes that Cole is scheduled to have another session on the mound later this week, but according to Cole, he does not have a set date yet to face live hitters. However, Cole maintained that he has made “good progress” since he resumed throwing off the mound at the start of the month, when reports suggested the veteran outfielder could be eyeing mid-June for his return to the major leagues.

As a six-time All Star and AL Cy Young Award winner, it’s clear that Cole’s return to the Yankees’ rotation will provide a huge boost to the club. With that being said, New York’s starting lineup has handled itself well in the absence of its star. Yankees starters rank seventh in the majors with a 3.36 ERA this season, thanks in part to strong performances by youngsters Louis Gill And Clark Schmidt.

Cole isn’t the only Yankees major leaguer whose rehab is progressing, as Hoch also points out that the manager is doing so Aaron Boone He told reporters this afternoon that the young midfielder Jason Dominguez He is scheduled to begin a rehab stint in Single-A on May 14. Dominguez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September, is scheduled to spend his first two weeks rehabilitating as a full designated hitter before returning to infield action. Boone told reporters (including Hoch) that Dominguez’s recovery has been “smooth” with “very few hiccups” since he underwent surgery.

Dominguez, a top-50 prospect in the sport, debuted last season to great fanfare and slashed .258/.303/.677 with four home runs in just eight games before his season was cut short by surgery. It seems certain that the 21-year-old will impact the Yankees in some capacity this year once healthy, though. Juan Soto And Aaron the judge Locked into everyday external roles and both Alex Verdugo And Giancarlo Stanton Having done so well to this point in the season, the club’s top prospect may struggle to break into the lineup on a regular basis.

The veteran is also making progress toward a comeback DJ LeMahieu, who fumbled a ball off his foot during spring training and has been sidelined with a bone bruise since. LeMahieu began a rehab stint in late April as he appeared to be closing in on a return to action but was almost immediately sidelined with right foot soreness and returned from the stint. The veteran has again worked to the point of countering live shooting in the weeks since, with Boone telling reporters that the practice of live hitting is against the rehabilitation of the right. GT Brubaker “It went well” for the veteran.

There still appears to be no clear timeline for the veteran’s return to action, but the fact that he is once again involved in fielding and batting with live arms is a positive sign for the club nonetheless. It has been difficult for the Yankees to replace LeMahieu’s production in their lineup this season even after he has posted nearly league average numbers in recent years. New York has relied on Oswaldo Cabrera And John Bertie At the hot corner in the veteran’s absence, but Berti has slashed just .300/.344/.300 in ten games while Cabrera has come back down to earth after a hot start with a paltry .212/.257/.273 line over his last 20 games.