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FILE – New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a spring training baseball game, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz.<\/p>\n
Ross D. Franklin\/AP<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 The long wait is nearly over for Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n
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Cole is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery Friday night and make his season debut against the Tampa Bay Rays, his first big league outing in almost 19 months.<\/p>\n
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A six-time All-Star and the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, Cole hasn\u2019t pitched in the majors since October 2024 in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been tough. I mean, I\u2019ve missed it quite a bit,\u201d he said Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. \u201cThere\u2019s been some blessings along the way as well. I talked about my family, and spending time with my boys. But largely I\u2019m just looking forward to being really tired and having that exhaustion, like, mean something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole was set to throw a bullpen Tuesday and will be on a pitch count Friday, manager Aaron Boone said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hasn\u2019t been in that flow of competition for 17 months. That being said, it is Gerrit Cole,\u201d Boone said. \u201cHe looks great to me. So, my expectation is that he\u2019s going to be really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Even after fellow Yankees ace Max Fried landed on the injured list last weekend with a left elbow bone bruise, Boone said the team still intended to have Cole make a seventh minor league rehabilitation start this week before rejoining a big league rotation that includes Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rod\u00f3n, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.<\/p>\n
But after the 35-year-old right-hander threw 86 pitches over 5 1\/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night, Cole and the Yankees changed course.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just kind of continued to work through that. Didn\u2019t want to make any rash decisions just because Max was out. This isn\u2019t about that spot. It\u2019s like, we were going to play the long game with this,\u201d Boone said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in just like, all the talks with the trainers, pitching group, Gerrit, his support group and all that, we just felt like he has done everything he needs to be ready to compete now at this level. So, I\u2019m really excited to get him back and excited for him because, again, knowing the long road that it\u2019s been and the blood, sweat and tears he put in the rehab process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In his most recent minor league outing, Cole averaged 97 mph with his four-seam fastball and reached 99.6 mph.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we all looked at it and just considered all the variables, it checked all the boxes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cole will start the series opener at Yankee Stadium against the AL East rival Rays, who swept three games from New York last month in Florida and entered Tuesday with the top record in the majors at 31-15.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect it to be intense. Tough matchup. Lot of balls in play. Control the running game,\u201d Cole said. \u201cLot of pressure from the other team.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m most looking forward to just competing at the highest stage,\u201d he added. \u201cPretty high stakes Friday night for May, and I mean, it\u2019s just a blessing to play the game. You get a better sense of that once you\u2019re removed from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole was pleased with his progression throughout the long rehab process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like any return around this point, even with a few weeks ahead of time, would be generally viewed as a good return-to-play plan and a good level of execution. I mean, I expected to do well. I didn\u2019t really hit any significant snags. And so, you put a lot of hard work in and execute along the way and this is where it takes you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t feel very quick, yet it\u2019s been very efficient and optimal.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Cole is 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 major league seasons with the Pirates, Astros and Yankees. He’s won a pair of ERA titles, and his return to an already-strong rotation figures to provide a significant boost for second-place New York, which entered Tuesday three games behind Tampa Bay at 29-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a good measuring stick. So you get a good litmus test of where you are,\u201d Cole said. \u201cI\u2019m confident. I\u2019m optimistic. But I definitely know there\u2019s some work in front of us. It\u2019s just the right time to take the next step.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m as prepared as possible to do the best I can, whatever challenges come our way on Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole went for tests in 2025 after allowing two home runs in his second spring training start, against Minnesota on March 6 that year, and had reconstructive elbow surgery five days later.<\/p>\n
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He made a pair of one-inning spring training starts this year on March 18 and 24, then began minor league rehab outings on April 17. He compiled a 4.71 ERA in 28 2\/3 innings, giving up 28 hits while striking out 28 and walking three.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all excited for him and know the long road that it\u2019s been to get back to this point,\u201d Boone said. \u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s been some trying moments for him, but I also feel like he\u2019s handled it all really well, and there\u2019s been a discipline to what he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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