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When will Gerrit Cole return? Tommy John recovery timeline, more to know about Yankees ace’s 2026 debut originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The phrase “Tommy John” may be an MLB fan’s least favorite couple of words to hear about a player. As one of the lengthiest recovery timelines, it means a team’s pitcher will miss a full year at a minimum.
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Last March, New York Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole mentioned that he was unable to lift his throwing arm. Less than a week after the March 6 injury, Cole was on the operating table receiving Tommy John surgery, shutting him down for the 2025 campaign and a portion of the upcoming 2026 season.
While Cole won’t play for the team on their March 25th opener against the San Francisco Giants, or even the first couple of months, here is when to expect the Yankee ace back on the mound throwing heat.
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Why is Gerrit Cole not pitching for the Yankees?
Cole will not appear for the Yankees at the beginning of the season, as he is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will have made two appearances during the Yankees’ spring training after Tuesday, but the star will start the season away from the bump.
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March marks a year since Cole was unable to lift his arm last spring, and the expected recovery can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Cole should be able to return in late May to early June and give the Yankees a much-needed boost to their pitching staff.
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What happened to Gerrit Cole?
Prior to the season in 2025, Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March. This announcement had Yankee fans waving the white flag on their season before it even began.
On March 6, 2025, Cole had trouble lifting his arm following a brief exhibition outing for the team. His own and the Yankees’ worst fear came true when the ace needed to receive Tommy John surgery, which gives one of the sport’s longest required recovery periods at over a year or more.
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Cole was shut down for the entirety of the 2025 season and will miss a couple of months during the upcoming 2026 campaign for the Yanks.
When will Gerrit Cole return?
In terms of the expected 12 to 18 months recovery after Tommy John surgery, Cole may return to the team in late May to June. In an interview with ESPN, Cole cited that the original plan was 14 to 18 months of recovery, which would explain the expectation of a May or June return.
“The target has always been between 14 to 18 months,” Cole said after his first spring training outing. “That’s what the research says. That’s what the comps that we’ve looked at says and that’s what it’s always been.”
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Cole has already appeared in a Yankees’ spring training game against the Red Sox, and threw a scoreless inning without allowing a walk. Cole is also expected to come out of the bullpen on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.
Fans can expect Cole to come back anytime from May on, roughly two months into the 2026 campaign.
“The fact that he’s getting into a game now kind of indicates where he is and how well it is going,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said last week. “I don’t want people to think we’re speeding this thing up or anything. That’s not the case. It’s just — he’s ready to do this.”
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Gerrit Cole Tommy John surgery
Cole received Tommy John surgery on March 11 by Los Angeles doctor Neal ElAttrache. This came after the Yankees ace was unable to lift his arm after a March 6 exhibition outing. After a series of MRIs, Cole underwent the surgery that terrifies MLB fans: Tommy John.
Cole received an internal brace insertion into his elbow, which should protect him against reinjuring the elbow again during the first year. He is currently a year into recovering, and has already briefly appeared for the Yankees this spring, with a second game entry coming on Tuesday against the Cubs.
Gerrit Cole Tommy John recovery timeline
According to the MLB, the expected timetable for properly recovering from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months. In a February interview, Cole admitted the team originally expected his recovery to take anywhere from 14 to 18 months.
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Cole has already suited up for the Yankees this year in the Grapefruit League. Against the Red Sox on March 18, Cole threw a scoreless inning without allowing a walk. He got all three outs without striking anyone out. He topped out at 98.7 mph on his fastball. Cole is also slated to suit up for two innings out of the bullpen in Spring Training against the Cubs on Tuesday.
The first instance of Tommy John surgery came in September 1974. Dr. Frank Jobe first did this surgery on Dodgers pitcher Tommy John. Jobe took a tendon from John’s wrist and drilled holes into John’s ulna and humerus bones, and inserted the tendon in a figure-eight design while being held in place by anchors. While Jobe originally didn’t believe the surgery would work (in 2013, he admitted it had “about a one in 100 chance” of working), John returned to the majors in April 1976.
