The New York Yankees’ pitching staff is about to get a serious boost.
After missing the last year-and-a-half, 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is set to make his return to the mound in Friday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx, as confirmed by manager Aaron Boone on Tuesday.
Reporters pushed Boon on Monday to give more specifics about when Cole would return, but he remained noncommittal in his response.
“Whatever we do, it’s with the long game in mind,” Boone stated. “So, a need doesn’t necessarily mean we’re bringing him back. If we feel like he’s absolutely ready to go and checked all the boxes, then we’ll make that call.”
Cole last pitched on Oct. 30, 2024, in New York’s World Series defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He missed the entire 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery.
The 35-year-old Cole hit 99.6 miler per hour on the radar gun during his most recent rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — a clear sign he’s near full strength.
“So far, so good,” Cole said regarding his recovery on Saturday. “It’s been a good progression. The pitch count is steadily increasing. The recovery has been good, and the velocity and command are steadily increasing as well.
“… It’s just a really long rehab. If you include the offseason from the year prior, it’s been about 17 months since I last performed at the big leagues, so no matter how you slice it, that’s a long time.”
Adding Cole back to the mix is a huge win for a Yankees pitching staff that may be without Max Fried for a little bit. Fried was recently placed on the injured list with a bone bruise in his elbow.
But Cole will add reinforcements to the starting rotation that features emerging ace Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren, and Luis Gil.
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