Yankees ace gets throwing session | News, Sports, Jobs

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole warms up before a bullpen session during a spring training baseball workout Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole threw his first bullpen of spring training on Friday, may pitch in exhibition games and is on track to return to regular-season action from May to September.

A 35-year-old right-hander, Cole had Tommy John surgery March 11 with Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions between myself, the Yankees and Dr. ElAttrache,” Cole said. “With a full Tommy John reconstruction surgery, the target’s always between 14 and 18 months so that really hasn’t changed and that’s what the research says.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone won’t push for an early return, preferring to have Cole at optimum strength late in the season and October.

“We want to make sure we give him the proper time to make sure he is good and ready to come back, built up in a smart way,” Boone said. “Don’t want to speed things up for the sake of a couple starts at the front end that could affect the overall product.”

Cole threw his first bullpen in October following surgery. He pitched at Steinbrenner Field with a beard — the Yankees relaxed their facial hair policy last year.

“It’s been long and tedious, like most people’s experiences. As we get closer to the end, things start to gain a little momentum,” Cole said. “I just kind of am doing exactly what I’ve been told. So when I’m told to push, I push. When I’m told not to, I don’t.”

Thus far, his elbow feels better than it did two years ago.

“It feels really good,” he said. “It feels different than it has been in quite some time.”

O’s add pitching

SARASOTA, Fla. — Right-hander Chris Bassitt and the Baltimore Orioles have finalized their $18.5 million contract.

The Orioles announced the pitcher’s addition Friday. After three seasons with Toronto, Bassitt is staying in the AL East with a deal that includes a $3 million signing bonus. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses if he starts at least 27 games this season.

Bassitt went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA for the AL champion Blue Jays last year. An 11-year veteran who will turn 37 on Feb. 22, Bassitt has made at least 27 starts in each of the past five seasons.

Bunny offers help

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Bad Bunny really wanted to see Carlos Correa play for Puerto Rico at home in the World Baseball Classic.

Correa, the infielder for the Houston Astros, was left off the WBC roster over insurance coverage. He told reporters that the music superstar and fellow native of Puerto Rico offered to pay for a policy.

Bad Bunny, who was born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, is one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. He was the featured halftime performaer at the Super Bowl last Sunday, a week after winning album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for “Debi Tirar Más Fotos”, which is the first time an all Spanish-language album took the top prize.

Correa has a $200 million contract through 2028. Correa says the insurer provider proposed by Bad Bunny wasn’t approved by Major League Baseball, the Astros or Correa’s agent, Scott Boras. Puerto Rico is hosting pool play games in the WBC next month.

Phillies try to move on

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Turns out, the Philadelphia Phillies were ale-ing last year.

Deciding their relationship ruptured when Nick Castellanos angrily brought a beer into the dugout after he was pulled from a game, the Phillies released the outfielder even though they owe him $20 million for the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract.

Draught was an issue in a season that extended the team’s title drought.

In a four-page handwritten letter posted Thursday, Castellanos admitted he broke a team rule by bringing a Presidente beer into the dugout last June “after being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family.” Phillies manager Rob Thomson made the move for defense with a 3-1 eighth-inning lead during a 5-2 win at Miami on June 16.

“I’m proud of him because he owned up to what he did and, hey, we all make mistakes,” Thomson said Friday. “Nick had helped us out in a lot of ways here. He’s had some big hits and big plays and helped us win a lot ballgames. So I do, I wish him all the best.”

During a season that ended with a Division Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Castellanos hit .250 — his lowest in a non-shortened season — with 17 homers and 72 RBIs.

Any team can sign Castellanos for the $780,000 major league minimum.

Looking to get better

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Houston Astros closer Josh Hader is playing catch in spring training after the six-time All-Star left-hander dealt with biceps tendinitis. T

he issue with the biceps came up when throwing bullpen sessions during the offseason after missing the end of last season with a shoulder capsule strain. Manager Joe Espada said Friday that Hader is trending in the right direction.

It is still unclear if Hader will be ready for the start of the season. The 31-year-old Hader was 6-2 with 28 saves and a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances last season, his second since joining the Astros in free agency.

Espada said Hader feels good and that the Astros are “just taking our time and make sure that we do this right.”