Gerrit Cole to make first Yankees start since 2024 World Series, Aaron Boone announces

Gerrit Cole is yet acceptable for his New York Yankees instrumentality since having Tommy John surgery.

Cole volition marque his 2026 play debut connected Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays - his archetypal commencement for the Yankees since 2024.

Cole, 35, missed the entirety of the 2025 run aft undergoing country to repair a teardrop successful his close UCL.

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Gerrit Cole pitches for the Hudson Valley Renegades during Thursday’s crippled versus the Brooklyn Cyclones connected April 23, 2026. (Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Yankees’ starting pitching unit has been a stellar radical to commencement the 2026 campaign, but Cole’s instrumentality comes astatine a cleanable clip arsenic chap ace Max Fried successful connected the injured reserve with an elbow wounded of his own. He is expected to miss astir 1 month.

Manager Aaron Boone, who announced the determination for Cole connected Tuesday earlier the team’s crippled against the Toronto Blue Jays, said connected Monday that the Yankees were considering sticking with the archetypal program of having Cole marque a seventh and last rehab commencement earlier his play debut with the team.

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"We’ll see," helium said anterior to the Yankees winning its bid opener against the Blue Jays. ‘We’re benignant of talking astir that present today, tomorrow, and we’ll marque a telephone 1 mode oregon another."

The penning appeared to beryllium connected the wall, though, arsenic the Yankees optioned Elmer Rodriguez, who started successful spot of Fried against the New York Mets implicit the weekend, backmost down to Triple-A. They called up reliever Yovanny Cruz alternatively of getting different starter successful the clubhouse.

Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees stands for the nationalist anthem during a crippled against the Los Angeles Angels astatine Yankee Stadium successful New York connected April 16, 2026. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)

Cole hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since Game 4 of the 2024 World Series, making this rather the comeback for the franchise’s ace. However, the Yankees person seen immoderate ace-like pitching elsewhere since then, including an unexpected spot this season.

Cam Schlitter, the 6-foot-6 flamethrower, is successful the aboriginal moving for American League Cy Young Award winner. He presently leads the league successful ERA (1.35) crossed his 10 outings, six of which being deemed prime starts. He has 68 strikeouts to 11 walks crossed 60 full innings, cementing himself arsenic the ace connected the unit close now.

Schlittler’s large infinitesimal came for the Yankees successful Game 3 of their Wild Card bid against the Boston Red Sox this past postseason, but he’s followed that up by showing it wasn’t a one-and-done moment. Instead, he’s been the Yankees astir accordant starter successful a radical filled with elite endowment similar Fried, Carlos Rodon and present Cole.

Now, Cole hasn’t had the champion numbers successful his rehab starts, owning a 5.28 ERA crossed 29 innings successful six outings. However, his metrics person checked the boxes, including a fastball that topped retired astatine 99.6 mph this past Saturday successful what was his champion rehab outing. He allowed conscionable 1 tally connected six hits.

Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees warms up anterior to a crippled against the Boston Red Sox astatine George M. Steinbrenner Field connected March 18, 2026 successful Tampa, Florida. The Yankees bushed the Red Sox, 1-0. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) (Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

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"He looks truly good," Boone added. "I deliberation this [latest] outing was a small much with astir apt contention successful mind, similar going to get guys retired and stepping connected it worldly wise."

Cole won the AL Cy Young successful 2023 and has been the Yankees’ ace since signing with the franchise successful 2019 connected a nine-year, $324 cardinal contract.

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