It sounds like the New York Yankees will have to wait a little longer until they can get one of their best players back.

New York hasn’t had superstar hurler Gerrit Cole active for a single game yet this season as he has dealt with an elbow injury. He has made a lot of progress lately and seems to be trending in the right direction, but reportedly won’t be back on the mound until “mid-June,” according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

“Gerrit Cole is scheduled to throw his first bullpen Saturday, with the new target for his return ‘mid-June,'” Heyman said.

Cole is making progress and it’s a great sign that he will be throwing a bullpen session this weekend, but it’s disappointing that he still is about six weeks away from big-league action. New York has been able to find success without Cole this season but his return will give the club a much-needed boost.

The Yankees are considered one of the top teams in baseball and are a World Series contender but they likely will only have a chance if Cole is able to return to form. Hopefully, he doesn’t suffer any setbacks throughout his rehabilitation process and will be able to get back on the mound soon.

Cole is eligible to come off the Injured List toward the end of May but it sounds like that won’t be possible at this time unless something surprising happens. Hopefully, the Yankees can continue to find success without Cole.