Erik Boland: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to return Friday on his own terms

Gerrit Cole completed a sixth rehab outing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings while striking out six. His fastball peaked at 99.6 mph and averaged 97 mph, and he threw 86 pitches. After speaking with Cole, Yankees manager Aaron Boone received a clear readiness message and announced Cole would make his 2026 season debut Friday against the Rays at the Stadium. Cole missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery in March 2025. The Yankees’ rotation could use reinforcement after Max Fried was placed on the injured list with a left elbow bone bruise, though Cole’s promotion was based on his rehab progress and readiness rather than Fried’s status.

""I'm ready," came Cole's bottom-line message to the Yankees' manager. And, so, it really wasn't much more complicated than that. Hearing that from their ace, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025, was enough for the Yankees to make the call. Boone announced, before the Yankees held on for a 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night, that Cole will make his season-debut Friday against the Rays at the Stadium."

""When we all looked at it and considered all the variables, it checked all of the boxes," Cole said of Saturday's outing when he allowed one run, six hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings in which he struck out six. The 35-year-old, whose fastball peaked at 99.6 mph and averaged 97 mph overall, threw 86 pitches. "He definitely said, 'I'm ready.' Yes," Boone said. "So that was definitely a part of this...(he said) I feel ready to go if you guys think it's time.""

"The Yankees' rotation, consistently one of the best in the majors this season, could use the boost with stud lefthander Max Fried hitting the injured list earlier in the week with a left elbow bone bruise. But even the uncertainty surrounding Fried - there is no timetable as of yet for his return - the decision on Cole was unrelated. Cole's rehab went without setback - "feel like he's crushed his rehab," Boone said - and the Yankees simply weren't going to return him to the rotation until everything about the pitcher told them he was ready."

""We were going to play the long game with this," Boone said. Meaning, n"

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