FOX Sports | Deesha Thosar: Gerrit Cole made his triumphant return to the mound on Friday. After missing all of last season and the start of this one as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young Award winner needed only 72 pitches to keep the AL-best Rays off the board through six innings. “It was almost like a second debut kind of situation,” Cole said after the game. “It was an enjoyable moment. It was nice to get back in the fire.” Perhaps most encouragingly, he dialed his fastball
up to 99 mph in the first while showcasing a new windup he adopted during the rehab process.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Saturday’s scheduled game against the Rays was postponed due to a forecast of inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a split-admission doubleheader on September 22nd. Fans with tickets to Saturday’s game can use them for the first game of that doubleheader or exchange them per the Yankees’ rain check policy. The postponement turns this weekend’s three-game series into a two-game set.
MLB Trade Rumors | Mary Polishuk: The Yankees have signed Peter Strzelecki, assigning the right-hander to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Strzelecki appeared in 77 games, all in relief, with three teams between 2022-2024, posting a 3.44 ERA. He was briefly called up by the Brewers last week, but ended up designated for assignment before he could appear in a game. The 31-year-old Queens native will serve as bullpen depth in the minors for a Yankees relief corps which has been inconsistent to start the year.
New York Post | Dan Martin: The Yankees’ bullpen — including David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird, the three relievers acquired at last year’s trade deadline — have had their share of struggles to start the season. Reinforcements could be on the way, with fireballer Carlos Lagrange waiting down at Triple A alongside fellow right-hander Eric Reyzelman, who was recently promoted from Double-A, and Strzelecki. Another avenue for reinforcements could be the team’s big-league rotation if the current five remain healthy until Max Fried returns from the IL.
