New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will make his season debut Friday in his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the team's plan for Cole on Tuesday.
New York had been weighing whether to have Cole make a seventh and final rehab start or to activate him to face the first-place Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
Cole, 35, has not pitched in a meaningful game for the Yankees since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025. He last pitched for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
Cole logged a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings across his six rehab outings. He had his best start Saturday, when his fastball touched 99.6 mph and he allowed one run over 5⅓ innings, throwing 84 pitches.
The Yankees opened the door for a Friday return when they optioned Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A on Monday. Rodriguez started Sunday and was in line to pitch Friday before Cole took his spot.
Instead, the Yankees chose to reinstate the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner a little earlier than planned.
Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2025 and missed the entire season. The Yankees won 94 games without Cole in 2025 but lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Division Series.