Gerrit Cole not throwing off mound yet as Yankees take it slow with ace

BALTIMORE — The Yankees’ daily Gerrit Cole updates have all been positive lately as he continues to work through his throwing progression.

While the team has been adamant about not putting a timetable on when the reigning AL Cy Young winner might return from the elbow nerve inflammation and edema that he experienced midway through spring training, the calendar flipped to May on Wednesday and Cole has still not advanced to throwing off a mound.

That could happen as soon as this weekend, when the team returns home from a seven-game road trip, but even if that is the case, it has become clear that Cole still has a ways to go in his ramp-up before he could potentially return to the rotation.

The earliest Cole is eligible to be activated off the 60-day injured list is May 27, but he will likely need at least a few more weeks than that before he is ready.

Asked on Wednesday whether the All-Star break (July 13-16) was a more likely projection for Cole’s return, manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal.

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“I wouldn’t even want to guess on that,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 2-0 win over the Orioles Wednesday night at Camden Yards. “He and the trainers and everyone are working through that. So we’ll see.”

While the team has never given a timetable for Cole’s potential return, the Yankees acknowledged after the right-hander was given his diagnosis that he would need the equivalent of a full spring training — around six weeks — to properly build back up since he only got as far as making one Grapefruit League start on March 1.

But usually when pitchers arrive at spring training, they have thrown at least a few bullpen sessions, if not already faced live hitters. So it remains to be determined when that six-week clock will begin for Cole.

For now, Cole has been continuing his flat-ground throwing sessions back in New York.

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He extended out to 120 feet last week — typically as far out as rehabbing pitchers will go — and in the days since has been upping the intensity of those sessions.

“[Cole] had a pretty heavy throwing day [Tuesday] and it sounds like that went well too,” Boone said.

As for when he would progress to throwing off a mound?

“I’m sure it’s soon, but I don’t have that,” Boone said.

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The Yankees would not risk rushing Cole’s rehab in any scenario, but the way their rotation has performed without him in the first month-plus of the season gives them some added comfort.

Entering Wednesday, the group of Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil — plus one strong spot start from Cody Poteet — had combined for a 3.38 ERA, which was the fifth-lowest in the majors .

They had allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of their 31 starts.

“They’re an enormous reason why we have the record at this point that we do,” said Boone, whose club entered Wednesday 19-12.

“They’ve given us a chance to win every night. Whether they’ve had an outing where they haven’t quite been at their best, they’ve still managed to give us a chance to win. They’ve set the tone for us, night in and night out.”

While it’s possible Cole could expedite that six-week spring training timeline, the Yankees got burned by bringing some of their starters back too soon from injuries last season, and they are unlikely to make that same mistake with their ace.

“I know not having Gerrit Cole to start off [the season] was going to be tough, but the boys have been grinding,” Cortes said. “The boys have been pitching well. Overall, I think we’ve done a decent job of going deep into games. Obviously waiting for Gerrit to get back, but we’re going to hold the fort down until he does.”

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