NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will throw around 45 pitches in his first minor league injury rehabilitation start as he inches closer to his return to the mound.

Cole will pitch Friday night for Double-A Somerset in the same game shortstop Anthony Volpe is rehabbing a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Cole, a six-time All-Star and the 2023 AL Cy Young award winner, is returning from last year's reconstructive elbow surgery. He made a pair of one-inning spring training starts on March 18 and 24, and has been facing hitters since.

In his latest session, Cole threw 42 pitches over three simulated innings on Sunday against batters from High-A Hudson Valley.

“I think we’ll get him to a higher threshold initially, but it’s one step at a time,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees concluded a four-game series with the Angels on Thursday afternoon. “Looking forward to him starting on Friday and we’ll build him from there and then even when he gets back to us we’ll probably be conservative with him but we’ll probably get him to a higher threshold initially.”

The Yankees anticipate Cole will return in June but will gradually build him up and take advantage of rules about the length of minor league rehab assignments for pitchers coming back from injury.

While position players’ minor league rehab assignments are limited to 20 days, pitchers have 30 days and those recovering from Tommy John surgery may receive three consecutive 10-day extensions.

Cole's last official outing was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. He made a pair of spring training starts before undergoing the surgery with Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Cole’s 2024 season debut was delayed until June 19 because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. He went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts for New York and was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.

Cole is signed to a $324 million, nine-year contract through 2028. He has a 153-80 career record and 3.18 ERA over 317 starts with Pittsburgh (2013-17), Houston (2018-19) and the Yankees (starting in 2020).

Besides Cole, Carlos Rodón will face hitters again on Saturday and will likely start a rehab assignment next week. Boone said the left-hander will need three rehab games.

Rodón threw 50 pitches to batters over three simulated innings before Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Rodón is recovering from surgery on Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur, and his rehab was slowed by right hamstring tightness.

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