BRADENTON, Fla. - Gerrit Cole continued his progression on the mound yesterday, building up to four innings on the backfield at McKechnie Field. Cole threw about 65 pitches in the outing, and will have two more starts after this before being ready for the season. Despite the delayed start, Cole said that his progression hasn't been rushed this year.
"The progression has been very similar to previous years," Cole said. "You continue to try to hammer out fastball command as best you can. I thought the last outing had a sharp curveball. Today I thought I had a sharp curveball, a sharp slider.