Yankees news: Gerrit Cole confounded by home run issue

Peter Brody is a staff writer at Pinstripe Alley, where he first started covering the Yankees in February 2020.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): All of a sudden, Gerrit Cole has a home run problem. He allowed four last week against the Padres including the first three batters of the game and another three against the Mets on Saturday, the combined seven the most he’s given up in a two-start stretch in his career. He didn’t have an immediate answer when asked about the cause, but did agree with the observation that chase and swing and miss have regressed significantly this season. He and Aaron Boone maintained that health is not an issue and sounded confident they would find the necessary adjustment. This stretch is reminiscent of Cole’s 2022 campaign, when he led MLB with 33 home runs surrendered.

New York Post | Zach Braziller: The recent turnaround in the Yankees’ offensive performances seems to coincide with Cody Bellinger’s return from injury. With another long ball in the loss to the Mets on Saturday, Bellinger has launched three home runs in his last four games. His bat is getting hot just at the right time, the left fielder slashing .368/.359/.605 in September, and his return alongside Ben Rice’s resurgence at the dish helps take some pressure off Aaron Judge, allowing the captain to focus on regaining his timing in time for the playoffs.

SNY | Phillip Martinez: Clarke Schmidt dominated in what he and the team are hoping is his final rehab appearance before joining the big league team for the first time this season. Schmidt threw 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, striking out three while requiring just 21 pitches for Double-A Somerset on Saturday. Schmidt hasn’t pitched in MLB since undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2025 and focused his rehab assignment specifically to join the bullpen when he is activated to the major league roster.

Yahoo! Sports | J.P. Hoornstra: Former top Yankees pitching prospect Chase Hampton has been claimed off waivers by the Nationals after the Yankees designated him for assignment to clear a 40-man roster space for Aaron Judge’s return. Hampton was a consensus top-10 Yankees prospect and top-100 prospect overall before suffering a forearm injury in 2024 and undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025. The 25-year-old righty was drafted by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and at one point was the top-ranked pitching prospect in the organization before injuries derailed his career. The Nationals have assigned him to Double-A Harrisburg where he will look to improve upon his 8.18 ERA in 55 innings this year.