New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole will take the mound Friday at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays, marking his return to major league action after a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery.
The former Cy Young Award recipient sat out the entire 2025 season following elbow issues that arose during spring training, leading doctors to recommend the surgical procedure. Cole’s most recent competitive appearance was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, where the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Yankees 4-1 to claim the championship.
The 35-year-old hurler completed six rehabilitation appearances across three minor league levels this spring, posting a 5.28 ERA over 29 innings pitched. Earlier this week, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone had not committed to Cole’s return, suggesting the team might send him for an additional rehab outing.
New York’s roster move sending pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre created the opening for Cole’s comeback when the rotation cycle came around.
The Yankees currently trail the division-leading Rays by three games and recently placed star southpaw Max Fried on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise, which had necessitated Rodriguez’s second promotion this season.
The six-time All-Star earned the 2023 AL Cy Young Award while wearing pinstripes, compiling a 15-4 record with a league-best 2.63 ERA across 33 starts.
During the 2024 campaign, he posted an 8-5 mark with a 3.41 ERA in 17 appearances, having missed the season’s first half due to elbow soreness. Cole delivered strong postseason performance for New York’s playoff run that year, recording a 1-0 record with a 2.17 ERA in five starts.
Throughout his major league career spanning stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-17), Houston Astros (2018-19) and New York (2020-24), Cole has accumulated a 153-80 regular-season record with a 3.18 ERA in 317 starts. His postseason resume includes an 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA over 22 starts.
