Player Performance and Team Context
Gerrit Cole, the Yankees' ace, was sidelined for the first 75 games of the season due to elbow inflammation. He made his much-anticipated 2024 debut on Wednesday night against the Baltimore Orioles, taking the mound with eagerness and determination.
Shaky Start and Quick Recovery
Understandably, Cole showed signs of rustiness in his first inning back, allowing a pair of hard-hit doubles and a run. However, he quickly found his rhythm and settled in, delivering a performance that was both strong and encouraging. Cole's fastball reached a top speed of 97.5 mph, and his 28 fastballs averaged 95.1 mph—a promising sign given that he is still getting fully stretched out.
Pitching Repertoire
Cole demonstrated the diversity of his pitching repertoire during his outing. He relied heavily on his knuckle-curve and cutter, while also integrating his slider and changeup into his pitch mix. Over the course of his four innings, Cole faced 16 batters and earned six whiffs and 13 called strikes. Manager Aaron Boone even allowed Cole to come out for the fifth inning. However, after permitting a lead-off single to Cedric Mullins, Cole was lifted with the score tied at 1-1.
Relief Struggles and Team Context
Reliever Ron Marinaccio took over from Cole but struggled to keep the momentum. Marinaccio allowed a two-run homer to Ramón Urías and gave up another run before escaping the fifth inning. Despite Marinaccio's struggles, Yankees starters have thrived in Cole's absence this season. Yankees starters currently lead all of baseball with a rotation ERA of 2.86, trailing only the Phillies and Padres rotations in strikeouts. One standout in the Yankees rotation has been Luis Gil, who boasts an AL-leading ERA of 2.03. Cole's return only strengthens an already formidable rotation.
Looking Ahead
Cole's season debut suggests he will soon deliver Cy Young-caliber performances. His next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Mets. Both Cole and the Yankees will look to build on his strong return and maintain their impressive rotation performance. Encouragingly for Cole and the Yankees, his fastball topping out at 97.5 mph suggests that he is well on his way back to peak form.
Quotes
"Encouraging for Cole and the Yankees is that his fastball topped out at 97.5 mph."
"Cole's debut suggests he will soon deliver Cy Young-caliber results again."
"Manager Aaron Boone allowed Cole to come out for the fifth inning."