Yankees Fans Desperate for Good News Just Got 20 Reasons to Smile

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone

You know it’s gotten bad when the fans start wearing brown paper bags over their heads.

For a team that has won just two of its nine August games, the New York Yankees will take anything resembling positive news. Fortunately, Meredith Marakovits, Yankees clubhouse reporter for the YES Network, was able to provide a bit of an uplift with a Monday post on X (formerly Twitter).

“Gerrit Cole started his throwing program today… about 20 pitches on flat ground,” the post read.

Admittedly, that message, while certainly upbeat, does little to help the Yankees in 2025. But positive news is positive news, and these days, New York will take what it can get.

Gerrit Cole Begins Throwing Program as Yankees Struggles Continue

On July 1, despite a 12-5 loss in the first of a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Yankees had sole possession of first place in the American League East. But the Blue Jays would complete the series sweep to take over the top spot, and they haven’t looked back since.

Meanwhile, the Yankees would win just 12 of 25 games in July, and with a 2-7 start to August, they entered play on Monday at 62-56 , 6.5 games behind Toronto and 2.5 behind Boston in the division. With a soul-sucking 7-1 loss to Houston on Sunday, New York now has just a half-game edge on Cleveland for the third and final wild card spot.

“It sucks, especially this time of year,” Sunday’s starting pitcher Max Fried said after the game .

But not as much as rehabbing from Tommy John surgery .

Cole’s flat-ground toss on Monday may have been just 20 pitches, but for the Yankees ace, it was also 20 steps closer to something resembling normal. This is the slow grind of the recovery process, an exercise in patience for a man who’s spent his career living on adrenaline and rotation turns.

While he’s been sidelined, Cole has stayed connected with teammates in any way he can. Earlier this summer, he made an appearance at Aaron Judge’s youth baseball camp , throwing with kids and taking photos. It wasn’t about velocity readings or bullpen sessions, but it gave him a chance to be around the game — and around people who reminded him why he loves it in the first place.

Gerrit Cole’s Presence Provides Positive Vibes Amid Negative Stretch for Yankees

That positive energy has been needed, because inside the Yankees clubhouse, there’s no hiding from the reality of the standings, or the struggle to keep the opposition from scoring. Injuries have piled on, the latest being Amed Rosario landing on the injured list with a shoulder strain, further thinning a roster that already feels stretched.

The result? A team that once looked like it might run away with the AL East is now scrambling to hold onto a playoff spot.

Cole’s return this season remains a pipe dream. Even with progress in his throwing program, the timeline for a post–Tommy John comeback doesn’t align with the Yankees’ 2025 schedule. But his presence — whether in the dugout during games, in the weight room alongside recovering teammates, or in moments like that youth camp — still matters.

And in a summer where the Yankees have seen leads evaporate, both in games and in the standings, small moments of stability are something they can’t take for granted. Cole can’t take the mound right now, but he can still give the team something to rally around.

Because for the Yankees, in a month full of losses and frustration, even a simple report of 20 pitches on flat ground feels like a win.

Dave Benson is a veteran writer with over three decades of journalism experience covering sports primarily in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent several years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson