Cole up next in Yanks' comeback bid: 'He’s the complete package'

NEW YORK -- It was in March that Gerrit Cole nervously boarded a cross-country flight to Los Angeles, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner briefly fearing the worst. He was seeking a second opinion on his ailing right elbow, which had continued barking through several exhibition outings.

Cole would exhale when a specialist’s review confirmed no significant damage; though a diagnosis of inflammation and edema -- a collection of fluid in the joint -- would delay his season debut until June. There was confidence that he could return and play a significant role in the Yankees’ World Series chances.

Now, Cole’s assignment is to get his team back on a different California-bound plane, which he can do by pitching the Yankees to another victory in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

“We’re in a tough position, but there’s a lot of baseball left to be played and anything can happen,” Cole said on Tuesday before the Yankees’ 11-4 victory over the Dodgers in Game 4. “Hey, we're still in the World Series. Hey, we're in the Bronx. We've still got a shot at this thing.”

Cole said he never allowed doubt to creep into his mind as he made his familiar commute to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, understanding that each contest his team plays through the remainder of this calendar year will constitute an elimination game.

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His turn in the rotation would come in Game 5, he assumed. The Bombers’ big Game 4 win then created the reality that will place Cole atop the mound of dirt and clay that he frequently refers to as his “office,” opposing the Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty.

“It’s always good when you have Gerrit on the mound,” said Yankees captain Aaron Judge. “He’s the complete package as a pitcher. They had some tough at-bats [facing] him in L.A., so hopefully we’re looking forward to more of that.”

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These are the types of assignments that Cole was brought to the Bronx to tackle head-on, dating back to the morning in December 2019 when Cole proudly hoisted a weathered, sun-faded piece of cardboard reading “YANKEE FAN TODAY TOMORROW FOREVER” at his introductory Yankee Stadium press conference.

That day, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner outlined his expectations for Cole’s big contract, saying that the Yankees would win “multiple” World Series titles with him atop their rotation. He’s on the correct stage to begin collecting those now; perhaps not in the ideal situation, but still there.

“OK, sure, we have to win four,” Cole said before Game 4. “Well, guess what? We had to win four going into Game 1. In that respect, things haven't changed that much. So it's one game at a time, one pitch at a time.”

Cole has endured arguably his most challenging campaign yet in pinstripes, beginning with that injury that interrupted his spring. He made 17 regular-season starts, going 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA, though his light workload (95 innings) has altered how the Yankees have guided his October.

Most notably, Cole was limited to 88 pitches in Game 1 of the World Series, exiting after six-plus innings at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Cole seemed “done” after a lengthy at-bat against Teoscar Hernández, and Boone would later reject any speculation about the possibility of bringing back Cole on short rest for Game 4.

“What he’s dealt with this year to get back, the real things he dealt with in the first few months, I don’t think him on three days’ rest serves us well,” Boone said before Game 4. “It wasn’t a consideration for me, with what he’s had to go through and how well he’s done in working through the back half of the year.”

Cole downplayed any physical concerns, saying, “I feel great right now. I'm available whenever the team wants me to pitch. There's nothing preventing me from pitching if the team wants me to pitch.”

In theory, it’s possible that Cole would be available to pitch out of the bullpen in an all-hands-on-deck Game 7, but first the Yankees would need to get there. In large part, that responsibility rests in Cole’s right hand, which is exactly where his teammates would want it.

“He’s going to be fired up,” said first baseman Anthony Rizzo. “I think he’s going to empty the tank as much as he has, and put us in a good spot. They’re going to make the adjustments because they’re a really good lineup. We’re going to make the adjustments off Flaherty, and hopefully we come out swinging.”