NEW YORK -- While the New York Yankees play the 2025 season without him, Gerrit Cole's mind is on clearing checkpoints in his recovery from Tommy John surgery last month.
Two-and-a-half weeks ago marked a milestone: Removing the brace protecting his right elbow. The next major one comes in August when he plans on throwing a baseball again, commencing a throwing program he hopes will continue into the 2026 season without a hitch.
"It starts out really dark," Cole said, speaking to reporters for the first time since the surgery. "And then you work your way closer to the end of the tunnel.