NEW YORK -- Yankees ace Gerrit Cole took another step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow by making 20 throws off flat ground on Monday.

"It felt really good today," Cole said before New York opened a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. "I was fairly accurate and I had a good time."

Cole began his throwing program five months after getting an internal brace inserted into his elbow in an operation by Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

The normal rehabilitation time is about 14 months and Cole had been building up to getting off flat ground for the past few weeks. Cole said his initial progressing will last for a few months before he can throw off a mound, and then he will get shut down and expects a nor

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