Yankees' Gerrit Cole to begin rehab assignment in Double-A on Friday

However, he was limited to 17 starts during the regular season because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. Cole finished with a 3.41 ERA, 8-5 record and 99 strikeouts in 95 innings. During the posteason, he compiled a 2.17 ERA and 1-0 record with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 29 innings.

Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe also working way back

In addition to Cole, fellow starting pitcher Carlos Rodón and shortstop Anthony Volpe are on the path back to the major-league roster.

Rodón, 33, has a throwing session scheduled with Somerset on Saturday. If that goes well, he will likely be cleared to begin his rehab assignment. He had surgery in October to remove bone chips and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The left-hander also dealt with a left hamstring issue during the spring that set back his recovery.

Volpe, who turns 25 on April 28, will begin his rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Thursday and is set to play three games before moving up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The shortstop had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder after last season. Volpe initially injured the shoulder last May and aggravated it in September. He batted .212/.272/.391 but received scorn from Yankees fans for the 19 errors he committed at shortstop. (His -7 Outs Above Average were the sixth-worst among MLB shortstops with at least 1,000 innings at the position.)

In Volpe’s absence, José Caballero has batted .186/.238/.305 in 63 plate appearances. In the field, he has three errors in 17 games with 1 Defensive Run Saved and -3 OAA. But Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters last week that Volpe will be the team’s starting shortstop when he returns.