FILE - San Diego Padres catcher Elias Diaz prepares to throw out Washington Nationals' Jacob Young in the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan, File)

TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole reached 96.9 mph in his first session against hitters since the New York Yankees ace underwent Tommy John elbow surgery last March.

The right-hander threw about 20 pitches of batting practice Friday, facing Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez at the Yankees’ spring training facility. He threw his first bullpen session a week earlier.

New York expects Cole to be ready at some point from May to September, which would fit the recovery range of 14 to 18 months that the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner has said was the target all along.

The 35-year-old Cole has altered his windup, putting his hands over his head. Before he was hurt, he stopped at his chest.

Cole’s last official outing was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series that Oct. 30. He pitched in two spring training games in 2025, the last on March 6. Surgery was five days later.

Surgery set

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Minnesota right-hander Pablo Lopez will have season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery.

The news was expected once the Twins discovered their ace’s torn ulnar collateral ligament. The team says Lopez’s surgery will be next week in Texas. He turns 30 early next month. It will be the second Tommy John surgery for Lopez. He was a minor leaguer the first time and missed the 2014 season.

Lopez ended a bullpen session early during the Twins’ first full-squad workout Monday. The UCL tear was announced the next day.

Extended deal

PHOENIX — Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy has agreed to a new contract after leading the Brewers to division titles and getting selected as National League manager of the year each of his first two seasons.

Murphy’s contract had been set to expire at the end of the season if he hadn’t agreed to a new one or an extension. He had taken over as Milwaukee’s manager after predecessor Craig Counsell let his contract run out after the 2023 season and then signed a lucrative deal with the rival Chicago Cubs.

Murphy owns a 190-134 record as Milwaukee’s manager. The Brewers didn’t release terms when announcing the deal Friday.

Starter hurting

SARASOTA, Fla. — The Baltimore Orioles say starting third baseman Jordan Westburg has a partial ligament tear in his right elbow and will be sidelined at least through April.

Westburg already had been unable to take part in spring training after injuring his right oblique during the offseason. General manager Mike Elias says the 27-year-old was getting a platelet injection to treat the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.

Westburg was limited to 85 games last season with hamstring and ankle issues. He missed nearly two months in 2024 with a broken hand after playing in the All-Star Game.

Ex-Pirate signs

SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Elias Diaz and say the 11-year veteran will join the big league camp next week.

Diaz spent last season with the San Diego Padres, hitting .204 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 106 games.

He spent his first five seasons in Pittsburgh and the next four in Colorado before the Rockies traded him to the Padres during the 2024 season.