What stood out about Yankees' Gerrit Cole's 'encouraging' first rehab start

SOMERSET, N.J. — Gerrit Cole walked off the mound for the final time with his head tilted downward and with hardly an expression on his face.It was Friday night, and the last time the New York Yankees’ ace had pitched in a game that counted was Game 5 of the World Series in 2024 — a span of 534 days that included the lows of Tommy John surgery rehabilitation. Still, even with the crowd cheering wildly around him and with a major hurdle cleared on his path back to the majors, Cole didn’t have the time to enjoy the moment.Advertisement