Gerrit Cole made a triumphant return to the mound Friday, firing six scoreless innings in his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. The right-hander allowed just two singles and three walks while striking out two batters on 72 pitches.
Cole's performance came against the AL-best Tampa Bay Rays, marking his first start in 569 days for the New York Yankees. Despite his strong effort, the Yankees bullpen faltered in the eighth inning, surrendering four runs in a 4-2 defeat.
"Like a Second Debut"
"It was almost like a second debut," Cole said after the game. "It was an enjoyable moment and it was nice to get back in the fire."
The veteran pitcher encountered early trouble, allowing a single to Chandler Simpson and a walk to Junior Caminero to open the game. However, he settled in brilliantly, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters faced, including a seven-pitch third inning and a four-pitch fourth.
"Really efficient," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Thought he was really good. They were being very aggressive with him, but I thought he did a good job... Really exciting to get him back and have him go out there. I'm sure he was carrying a lot of emotions with him out there."
Pitch Count Management
Cole was limited to 72 pitches in his return outing, down from the 86 he thrown in his final Triple-A rehab start. The Yankees opted to pull him after six innings to avoid pushing him too much, too soon following his 14-month rehabilitation.
"I felt like that was the smart play," Cole said. "It may seem easy, but it was a high-pressure, tough game. Had one quick inning and we made some great defensive plays that led to some of that efficiency as well. Overall, it was good work for what we had out there."
The club plans to build Cole's pitch count gradually: up to 80 in his next start, then 90, before reaching a full 100.
Rotation Update
Cole essentially steps into Max Fried's rotation spot. Fried is currently out with an elbow bone bruise, while Luis Gil is on the Triple-A injured list with shoulder inflammation. Carlos Rodón returned from his own elbow surgery earlier this month.
This marks the healthiest the Yankees' rotation has been since mid-2024. Cole's last MLB start came in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series before his elbow gave out during spring training.