Gerrit Cole looked like he had finally rediscovered his ace form, but there are signs lately that his first season back from Tommy John surgery may be catching up with him.

The right-hander will start Saturday against the Mets in Game 2 of the Subway Series after allowing 10 earned runs across 18 1/3 innings over his past three starts.

His roughest start came during his last time out Sunday against the Padres, when he surrendered four home runs, including three straight before recording an out in the first inning.

Cole eventually settled down and completed seven innings, but the recent stretch has been concerning, especially against a rejuvenated Mets lineup.

Hard contact has been an issue all season, with Cole’s 90.7-mph average exit velocity allowed ranking in the bottom-four percent of the league.

He has punched out just 13 batters over that stretch, another sign that hitters haven’t been having as much trouble against him lately.

That’s a dangerous trend against a Mets lineup that has begun to heat up.

The Mets entered the Subway Series leading the majors in runs in September and having scored 31 runs during their three-game sweep of the Marlins this week.

Cole also struggled against the Mets in two starts in 2024, although those outings shouldn’t carry nearly as much weight as his current form.

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Given his recent regression and the Mets’ offensive uptick, it’s time to fade Cole and bet on the veteran to put up another shaky start. 

The play: Gerrit Cole Over 2.5 earned runs allowed (+119, DraftKings)

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.