NEW YORK \u2014\u00a0 Gerrit Cole, who last pitched for the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, is ending his rehab assignment early and will make his season debut Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The 2023 Cy Young Award winner was scheduled to make one more minor-league start, but instead will return to bolster a depleted rotation for this weekend\u2019s series versus the Rays, who are in first place in the American League East, three games up on New York.<\/p>\n
The Yankees demoted starter Elmer Rodr\u00edguez to Triple A on Monday and promoted reliever Yovanny Cruz to the majors, creating an opening in their rotation for Friday\u2019s game. Cole, who has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will be starting on five days\u2019 rest.<\/p>\n
Cole\u2019s last start was Saturday for Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre, and he looked like his vintage self. He pitched 5 1\/3 innings, allowing six hits, one walk and one run with six strikeouts\u00a0across 86 total pitches. He touched 99.6 mph with his four-seamer and averaged 97 mph. That is notable because Cole\u2019s fastball has not averaged at least 97 mph since 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks really good,\u201d Boone said of Cole. \u201cI think I\u2019ve watched every pitch he\u2019s made in rehab. I think it\u2019s gone really well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s checked a lot of the boxes, and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s difficult to glean much from stat lines of rehabbing pitchers because, in some outings, the pitcher is working on specific things that may not follow a prototypical game plan. But, encouragingly, Cole has walked only four across 29 innings (six starts) during his rehab assignment. Command tends to be hit-or-miss for pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery, but Cole has excelled so far.<\/p>\n