New York Sports+ | Joel Sherman ($): Gerrit Cole finally threw a pitch in anger. 54 weeks after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner returned to the mound with a spring start against the Red Sox yesterday. He threw just 10 pitches in a clean inning, but his fastball velo looked hot. There’s a way to go in the rehab process yet, but we got a good first step out of the way on Wednesday.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: We have two stories filed by Gary today, the first talking with Oswaldo Cabrera about the importance of Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic victory. Cabrera wasn’t on the roster for his country of course, but the meaning of such an upset win reverberates nonetheless. Hosting a watch party in Tampa, Oswaldo was openly shedding tears of joy over the accomplishment of his countrymen, and hopefully seeing that kind of international performance serves as inspiration for a player at the bubble of the Yankee 26-man roster.
Sports Info Solutions | Mark Simon: Part of SIS’ spring preview series, let’s delve into whether the Yankees are a good defensive team. The left side of the infield should be solid, with Ryan McMahon, José Caballero, and eventually Anthony Volpe all more than competent, but the steps backward that presumptive center fielder Trent Grisham took in 2025 could be a defensive vulnerability.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Carlos Lagrange has been one of the revelations out of camp, and while the massive right-hander may still need some time with Triple-A Scranton to start the year, it shouldn’t surprise any of us if he finds his way to the Bronx this year. The Yankees are already publicly admitting that he’s major-league ready, so it seems its just a matter of time before a roster slot opens and we see that 101 mph heater in pinstripes.
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