There was plenty for the Yankees to be optimistic about after Gerrit Cole’s most dominant outing of the season.
There was caution, though, because it was a shorter start than most.
Cole’s stuff was excellent, with a season-high 10 strikeouts, on a night he only recorded 16 outs through 90 pitches.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was on a “pretty strict” pitch count, manager Aaron Boone said, in being careful with an ace whose overall body soreness led to his spot being skipped in the rotation at the end of July.
The righty recovered from that soreness, allowed two runs in 5 ²/₃ innings in a win over the Blue Jays on Sunday, before his workload again was being closely monitored in what became a 9-4 loss to the Rangers in the back end of Saturday’s doubleheader in The Bronx.
“Just making sure we’re in a good spot with him,” said Boone, who pulled Cole in a sixth inning that got screwy, Texas hanging five runs on Luke Weaver in the frame.
Cole was happy with his stuff, seeing good movement and velocity and fewer pitches that didn’t approach the zone.
He was only burned in the fourth inning, a frame that also showed his dominance.
A single to Wyatt Langford and walk to Nathaniel Lowe presented trouble that came back to haunt him when Adolis Garcia hit an RBI single.
But with two on and none out, Cole reached back to strike out Leody Taveras, Carson Kelly and Josh Smith in succession.
“I felt good today,” said Cole, who induced 26 whiffs on 52 Rangers swings. “We brought out a lot of good offerings today.”
After a lengthy absence with an elbow problem and a midseason respite to allow him extra time to recover, Cole is making progress — and the Yankees are trying to ensure another setback does not arise.
Boone said Cole is “building some good steam” for the final months of the season.
“Certainly have had flashes this year of what it’s supposed to look like, and then maybe had a little bit of letdown in the following start,” said Cole, who owns a 4.70 ERA in nine starts. “Looking to bridge that consistency from one to the next.”
Trent Grisham was pulled from the first game with a left hand contusion after getting drilled with a fastball.
Initial CT scans and X-rays were negative, and Boone said he believed “we dodged a bullet there.”
Grisham didn’t dodge the pitch, absorbing a 96.3-mph heater from lefty Brock Burke in the fourth inning and throwing his bat to the ground in obvious pain.
He remained in the game, but Boone said his hand swelled, prompting Grisham’s exit the next inning. Late Saturday, Grisham said the swelling had begun to subside.
Oswaldo Cabrera entered at third base, moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field.
Chisholm launched his 19th and 20th home runs of the season and became the first player in franchise history to hit at least seven homers in his first 12 games with the club.
Chisholm said that after early strikeouts in both games, he did some work in the indoor cage and his adjustments paid off.
“Just being quick to the ball, don’t get too long,” Chisholm said.
Along with Clarke Schmidt, Cody Poteet threw a live session Saturday.
Recovering from a right triceps strain, Poteet will throw another live session Wednesday for two “innings,” after which the Yankees will decide if he throws another or begins a rehab assignment.
Anthony Volpe, who was lifted early from Thursday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot, was back in the lineup and played every inning.
Jon Berti and Anthony Rizzo hit off Schmidt and Poteet, took ground balls and ran the bases.
Berti (calf strain) is closer to a return than Rizzo (forearm fracture).
Boone said Berti likely would repeat this week’s work next week.
The Yankees are being careful with the infielder who already suffered one setback.
“The way I put it to him is: When you think you’re there, let’s take another day and make sure we’re able to repeat it again before starting a rehab assignment,” Boone said, “because I do feel like he could play a really important role for us down the stretch, and what we hope is October baseball as well.”
Jose Trevino (left quad strain) is expected to start a rehab assignment on Sunday.
Ian Hamilton (right lat strain) threw another side session Friday.
He is expected to progress to live sessions next week — once in the middle of the week and a second toward the end of the week.
Ron Marinaccio, recalled as the 27th man, threw 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in the opener in which he let up just a hit.
The righty was returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the doubleheader.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark visited the team, stopping in the Yankees clubhouse and the manager’s office.
“She was impressive,” Boone said. “It was fun to see the amount of our guys that were kind of starstruck being around her.”
— Additional reporting by Joel Sherman
