Yankees' Gerrit Cole reveals what he misses most about baseball amid Tommy John Surgery rehab

Gerrit Cole is anxious to get back on the mound. 

The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner and New York Yankees ace missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said Cole could make a few Grapefruit League appearances towards the end of spring training. However, Cole's target date for a return to regular-season action is late May to early June. 

The Yankees' rotation will start the season without Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt, who also underwent Tommy John Surgery. 

Cole misses the grind of being a pitcher 

Anyone who has listened to Cole's postgame interviews or watched him tutoring teammates in the dugouts recognizes that he lives and breathes baseball. 

"I just miss playing," Cole told The Athletic's Chris Kirschner on Friday. "I miss that outlet of working hard and feeling exhausted every five days." 

The Yankees are a much better club with Cole healthy, and his rehab process throughout the spring is something to closely monitor. New York will enter the year with a projected rotation of Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, and Will Warren, barring any injuries. 

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