New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is opening up about his decision to give slack to Gerrit Cole on the mound. Cole was allowed to face off against the Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers for a third time, after giving up a home run to him in a July 6 game. Devers is having a lot of success against Cole, with a .333 batting average in 39 at-bats, per Stat Muse.

“He's also punched his ticket a lot, over the next several years those numbers will come back to within reason,” Boone said, per Talkin Yanks. Devers also has a whopping eight home runs against Cole, after Saturday's contest.

Cole is getting roughed up this season. He has a 6.75 ERA, which is totally out of character for the ace. Fortunately, the team hasn't needed his arm as much as they have in past years. The Bronx Bombers have a 55-37 record on the season.

Gerrit Cole struggling to find strike zone for Yankees

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre.
© Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

It's got to be music to Cole's ears to hear he has the trust of his manager.  Yankees fans still have a lot of faith in Cole, but they are wanting the hurler to find his groove quickly. In his outing against the Red Sox on July 6, Cole gave up four runs on seven hits in just a little more than four innings of work. Cole can certainly do much better than that.

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In four starts this season, Cole gave up 13 total runs. He holds a 1-1 record, with a WHIP of 1.62. His ERA is possibly the most glaring stat. His career ERA is 3.20, which is less than half of what he posted so far this season. The Yankees need him to bring that number down, and it seems that Boone has total faith that Cole will. If he doesn't Cole is in for the worst season statistically of his career.

The pitcher hurt his elbow during spring training, which forced him to sit out the first several weeks of the season. In four starts so far on the campaign, Cole hasn't managed to last more than five innings. Those numbers need to improve for the club to make a deep run in the postseason. The Yankees were the first MLB team this season to reach 50 games.

That success has cooled off. The Yankees have lost seven of their last 10 games, after storming out of the gate to start the year. New York is on a mission to avenge an underachieving 2023 season, which saw the club lose 80 games. Heading into mid-July, the team looks poised to do it. The Yankees are looking to get Giancarlo Stanton, as well as top farm prospect Jasson Dominguez back in the next few weeks.

The Bronx Bombers are in action on Tuesday against Tampa Bay. The game is scheduled to start at 6:50 Eastern.