Yankees' Gerrit Cole Set to Return Friday vs Rays After Tommy John

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery and make his season debut Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Manager Aaron Boone announced the decision Tuesday, ending a lengthy recovery for the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner.

Cole, 35, has not pitched in a major league game since October 2024, when he started Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing surgery to repair a tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament. His return was accelerated following a recent injury to fellow starter Max Fried, who was placed on the 15-day injured list last weekend with a left elbow bone bruise.

Initially, the Yankees planned for Cole to make a seventh minor league rehabilitation start this week. However, after he threw 86 pitches over five and one-third innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, the team changed course. Cole said that after considering all variables, the decision to activate him checked all the boxes. Boone added that the team was thrilled to get him back.

Cole acknowledged the challenge of his return matchup against the AL East...