Gerrit Cole's injury rehab hit another rough patch this week, and fans are letting him hear it. The Yankees ace, making a start for High-A Hudson Valley, found himself in hot water after plunking top White Sox prospect Caleb Bonemer—just one at-bat after Bonemer took him deep.

Cole, who hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery ahead of the 2025 season, is working his way back to the Bronx. But Wednesday's outing against Winston-Salem was far from encouraging. The former Cy Young winner surrendered five earned runs over 4⅓ innings, including a home run to Bonemer, a former Okemos High School standout now ranked among baseball's top 100 prospects.

The drama escalated in Bonemer's next plate appearance. Cole's first pitch—a 97 mph fastball—caught Bonemer high in the shoulder. While intent is always hard to prove, the optics weren't great, and social media erupted. Fans called it "charmin ultra soft" behavior and questioned why a veteran like Cole would target a young prospect just trying to make his mark.

For what it's worth, Bonemer had already collected a single off Cole earlier in the game, so it wasn't a case of frustration over a hitless night. Cole ultimately took the loss, and his stat line did him no favors.

The six-time All-Star is still expected to rejoin the Yankees by late May or early June. For New York fans, the only silver lining? It's hard to imagine things getting worse from here.