TAMPA — It was only a Grapefruit League exhibition, and only 10 pitches in one inning.
But 53 weeks after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole returned to the mound for his first game action on Wednesday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field, checking off another significant box in his comeback toward potentially rejoining the Yankees by May.
Cole looked as sharp as one can while only throwing 10 pitches — he was set to head down to the bullpen afterward to throw about 20 more — flashing some life on his fastball, which topped out at 98.7 mph, in the scoreless frame.
The 35-year-old threw six fastballs (averaging 97.1 mph), two sliders and two knuckle curveballs.
He allowed two singles — one on a bunt up the first base line on the first pitch he threw — but also got some fielding work in when he covered first base on a groundout to end the inning.
Cole still has more hurdles to clear over the next two months before he could return to a big league mound, building up his workload and stamina after not throwing a single inning last season.
But the Yankees are eagerly awaiting his return, and Wednesday’s tease only re-emphasized that feeling, allowing them to dream on what their rotation could look like with him in it.
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