Gerrit Cole injury update: Yankees ace throws off mound for first time since being shut down in March [Video]

New York Yankees ace right-hander Gerrit Cole took a step forward on Saturday morning in his recovery from elbow nerve inflammation and edema. Cole threw 15 pitches off the mound for the first time since being shut down in March. Although he wasn’t throwing at max effort, he averaged around 89 mph on his fastball, according to what he told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

Cole’s next step will hinge on how his arm and body react over the coming days to Saturday’s throwing session. 

Cole, 33, is the reigning American League Cy Young Award recipient. Over the last three seasons, he’s amassed a 3.11 ERA (134 ERA+) and a 5.19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 96 starts. His contributions have been worth an estimated 15.7 Wins Above Replacement during that time, or more than five per year, per Baseball Reference’s calculations. 

Cole will be eligible to return …