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Cole Returns to Yankees Rotation After 569-Day Layoff

5/22/2026

27 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Gerrit Cole Returns

Gerrit Cole starts for the Yankees on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 7:05 p.m. ET vs. the Rays.
The start ends a 569-day gap; his last pitch was Oct. 30, 2024, after missing 2025 from Tommy John surgery in March 2025.
The Yankees have paid Cole $46,780,749, covering a $36 million 2025 salary and $10,780,749 prorated for 2026.
Aaron Boone will limit Cole to 85–90 pitches after a Triple-A rehab featuring a 99.6 mph fastball and a 4.66 ERA.

Summary

Yankees Falter

The Yankees have won four of last 13 games, 30-21 and 4½ games behind the Rays.
Aaron Judge is hitting .191, going 0-for-11 with eight strikeouts in three games.
José Caballero returns from a fractured finger, creating uncertainty for Volpe, while Yovanny Cruz is optioned and Spencer Jones demoted to Triple-A.
Max Fried was placed on the injured list with an elbow bone bruise, creating rotation spot for Cole.

History

Historical Context

Dr. Frank Jobe invented ulnar-collateral ligament reconstruction in 1974, saving Dodgers pitcher Tommy John and proving a torn elbow could be repaired. Over the next four decades the surgery became routine, with roughly one-third of major-league pitchers having it by 2014. That legacy underpins modern contracts such as Gerrit Cole’s 2025-26 $46 million deal and pitch-count limits.

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Gerrit Cole Returns

Gerrit Cole starts for the Yankees on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 7:05 p.m. ET vs. the Rays.
The start ends a 569-day gap; his last pitch was Oct. 30, 2024, after missing 2025 from Tommy John surgery in March 2025.
The Yankees have paid Cole $46,780,749, covering a $36 million 2025 salary and $10,780,749 prorated for 2026.
Aaron Boone will limit Cole to 85–90 pitches after a Triple-A rehab featuring a 99.6 mph fastball and a 4.66 ERA.

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