“It would not be a responsible move,” Gerrit Cole said after his electrifying Double-A Somerset start. The New York Yankees ace was talking about joining the Major Leagues immediately after this game. Months after getting injured, Cole’s first start showed that the star hadn’t lost his usual brilliance. However, when asked about his future – he maintained a rather coy attitude towards everything.

The $324 million superstar threw 3 ⅓ scoreless innings with 45 pitches (34 strikes). Through it all, Gerrit Cole allowed only two singles and gave away zero walks while striking out 5 batters. While that immediately left the Yankees fanbase talking about his progress, Cole understood that there was still some ways to go before he could comfortably step on a major league mound. That was clear from his response in his postgame interview.

“I haven’t gone through this process in a while, so I’m kind of taking it just one start at a time,” Gerrit Cole said about his impending return. “And I’ll just let my body tell me when we’re ready. Obviously looking objectively, at how the ball is coming out of our hand and the areas that we’re getting to on a consistent basis.”

Cole noted that the level is different in the major leagues. “The heat is on when you’re up there,” and because of that, the pitcher needs to have complete control of the ball. Perhaps that’s why the superstar remained coy about his potential return to MLB. However, while a return is still far – one can’t deny that the Yankees would wish it to come sooner.

Even though their pitching staff has been tremendous, the injury to Clarke Schmidt could derail that momentum. Could Gerrit Cole return sooner rather than later? The star certainly looked like he was having fun on the mound yesterday.

Clarke Schmidt’s injury increases the urgency for Gerrit Cole’s return

Just a few days ago reports emerged that Clarke Schmidt would be sidelined till August to Lat Strain. Until that point, Schmidt had been performing exceptionally well (perhaps second only to Luis Gil in the Yankees packing order). So obviously his absence has the potential to hurt the Bronx Bombers who are currently soaring. Luckily with Cole’s return right around the corner (the Yankees have up to 30 days of allowable time for his rehab), the Pinstripes could avoid a loss of momentum.

However, Cole’s words signal that the New York Yankees ace is taking this slow. And one can’t complain about that approach. It’s better to be completely healthy than to rush a return and risk further injuries. As for the Yankees – they’ve waited for so long, they can wait just a little more for that Cy Young-winning ace to return.