Gerrit Cole will miss his scheduled Sunday start and take the ball Monday in Detroit instead, as the New York Yankees shifted their rotation by one day. The move gives the club an extra day of rest across the staff during a stretch of 16 games in 16 days.
Aaron Boone on the switch
Aaron Boone said the decision had been building for days. “It’s something we’ve been kicking around the last few days,” he said after the Yankees lost to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Boone added, “But we also want to play a long game with all these guys.”
The Yankees will start Elmer Rodríguez on Sunday in Cole’s place. Rodríguez, a 22-year-old rookie, had been slated to start Saturday night for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Columbus, Ohio before the club asked him to take the turn for New York. He has made three major league starts this season and is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in the majors.
Cole’s workload
Cole played catch in center field at Yankee Stadium before Saturday’s game and looked fine, which is what makes the timing of the move stand out. Boone said Cole’s body has responded well after missing all of last season and nearly the first two months of this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
His line gives the Yankees a reason to be careful. Cole is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five starts, and his most recent outing came Tuesday, when he worked six innings, threw a season-high 90 pitches and allowed two runs in a win over the Chicago White Sox at home. The extra day should leave him better positioned for Monday’s series opener in Detroit, while the rest of the rotation also gets a breather it would not have had on normal rest.
Rotation through July 13
Boone said the Yankees may use a six-man rotation at least until the All-Star break, which begins July 13. That gives the club a way to spread the workload during the current run and keep the starters from being asked to pitch three times in a row on regular rest. The shift to Rodríguez on Sunday makes that plan concrete for now, with Cole’s next turn moved to Monday in Detroit.
