ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Red Wings will face one of the best pitchers in baseball on Friday night.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced on Wednesday that right-hander Gerrit Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, will make a rehab start for the AAA Scranton Wilkes/Barre RailRiders in Friday’s 6:45 game at Innovative Field.
Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media was the first to report the news on Wednesday. The Red Wings have not yet officially confirmed the news, although the team’s front office was aware of the possibility.
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The 33-year-old Cole has been one of the best pitchers of his generation since being drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, going 145-75 with a 3.17 ERA in 300 games and 1859 innings pitched, striking out 2152. A six-time All-Star, the UCLA alum joined the Yankees before the 2020 series on a franchise record nine-year, $324 million deal.
The start will be Cole’s third rehab appearance as he works back from nerve inflammation and edema suffered during spring training. His two previous starts came for the AA Somerset Patriots last week, where he worked eight total innings across the two games, allowing one earned run.
Friday won’t be Cole’s first time facing Rochester. In 2014, the then-Pirate made two rehab starts against the Wings for the Indianapolis Indians, winning both games while throwing 11 scoreless innings and allowing six hits. The first of those games, on July 28, was at then-Frontier Field, when he went five scoreless while allowing five hits, three walks, and struck out seven in a 5-0 Indianapolis win.
Off the field, Friday’s 6:45 game was already expected to be a big day for the Red Wings, attendance-wise. Games against the farm teams of locally popular teams like the Yankees often draw well regardless, but the Red Wings also have several promotions scheduled. Those include post-game fireworks, a Flag Day flag giveaway, and a Negro Leagues salute featuring an appearance by Denard Span– one of the most popular players from Rochester’s time as a Minnesota Twins affiliate.
Rochester has a history of drawing large crowds for appearances by Yankees starters, including a stadium regular-season record of 13,584 when Andy Pettitte rehabbed for Scranton team during a 2012 season when the club was based in Rochester while its stadium in Pennsylvania was under renovation. The highest regular-season Red Wings game attendance also featured a Yankees starter: Hideki Irabu drew 13,485 on June 30, 1997.
Before facing Cole, the Red Wings continue their series with the Scranton Wilkes/Barre RailRiders on Thursday at 6:45 P.M. Right-hander Thaddeus Ward (4-3, 6.89) will take the mound against righty Will Warren (4-4, 7.24).
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