Gerrit Cole will be pushed back from Sunday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds to start Monday night in Detroit against the Tigers, with Yankees manager Aaron Boone aiming to avoid three straight starts on five days’ rest after Cole’s surgically repai
Gerrit Cole was originally set to take the mound Sunday for the New York Yankees’ series finale against the Cincinnati Reds and their ace, Chase Burns. Instead, Aaron Boone is giving his top starter an extra day.
Cole will start on Monday when the Yankees travel to Detroit for a Monday night game with the Tigers. Boone’s decision shifts Cole so the additional rest keeps him from having three consecutive starts on five days’ rest. The Yankees manager didn’t say he’s worried about Cole’s surgically repaired right elbow. but the caution is hard to miss—Boone clearly wants to keep Cole from being pushed harder than necessary.
To cover the adjustment, the Yankees promoted Elmer Rodriguez to make his fourth start of the year against the Reds. At the same time, Jake Bird was sent to Triple-A Scranton.
Cole’s workload so far since returning from elbow surgery has been steady. even if it hasn’t looked like his sharpest form yet. He has made five starts since his comeback, going 3-2 with a 2.57 earned run average. Across 28.0 innings, Cole has struck out 24 batters while walking 8, allowing 20 hits and 4 home runs. The numbers aren’t perfect, but the Yankees and Cole appear to be trending in the right direction.
Rodriguez, though, is arriving with less margin. Through three previous starts, he has pitched 13.0 innings for the Yankees with a 4.15 ERA. Control has been a problem: he has walked nine batters in 13.0 innings.
On the other side, the Reds’ advantage for Sunday’s series finale is clear on paper. Chase Burns enters with an 8-1 record and a 2.01 ERA, striking out 95 batters in 80.2 innings.
The decision to reshuffle the rotation puts the Yankees in a familiar position: protecting a prized, surgically repaired arm while trying to navigate a lineup of opponents that can punish mistakes quickly.
New York Yankees Gerrit Cole Aaron Boone Elmer Rodriguez Jake Bird Cincinnati Reds Chase Burns Detroit Tigers MLB rotation move Monday night game elbow surgery
So Boone is just giving Cole more rest? Cool, until he still shanks it anyway.
I feel like they’re babying him. If it’s “surgically repaired” then why not just let him go Sunday like originally planned? Also Chase Burns sounds like a cheat code.
Wait, they promoted Elmer Rodriguez to replace Cole, but then Jake Bird got sent down to AAA? That’s wild, because I swear I saw Bird pitch like last week. Did Boone just decide to burn innings on purpose or what?
Elbow surgery + 5 days rest + extra day = Yankees trying to prevent him from getting hurt again, but then they’re facing the Reds ace on Sunday??? I’m confused, like what is even the plan. If Cole’s not sharp yet, this doesn’t really matter, right? Also 4 home runs in 28 innings sounds bad but they said trending good??