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Yankees manager Aaron Boone laid out the plan for both Jose Caballero's rehab and Anthony Volpe's new opportunity.

The New York Yankees are once again off to a hot start to the 2026 season.

Their 29-19 start has been in large part due to their pitching, with youngster Cam Schlittler a current Cy Young favorite.

The Yankees will soon see a key part of their rotation return.

According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo and Yankees manager Aaron Boone, starter Gerrit Cole will make his season debut Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

This is huge for a Yankees rotation that has given up the fewest runs in the American League, tied with the Texas Rangers.

Cole has not pitched since 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

What Does This Mean for the New York Yankees and Cole?

While the Yankees have given up just 175 runs through 48 games, their rotation has struggled to stay healthy.

Cole’s impact is not to be understated and is well-known. After wildly successful tenures with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros, Cole signed with New York in 2020.

While a nine-year, $324 million contract was considered an overpay at the time, Cole has lived up to the hype.

From 2020 to 2024, Cole accumulated 19.7 bWAR in 125 starts. That would come with a 3.12 ERA and 915 strikeouts.

This would culminate in a 2023 season that saw Cole unanimously win the AL Cy Young award.

Cole would make just 17 starts in the second half of 2024 before going under the knife for elbow surgery, missing the entire 2025 season.

In six rehab starts in the minors this year, Cole pitched to a 4.66 ERA in 29 innings. While not necessarily impressive, this was Cole’s first action since 2025 spring training.

Cole’s return marks a turning point in the season for New York.

In his age-36 season, Cole will have to regain the stuff that made him one of the best pitchers in baseball for over a decade.

Cole has pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 2251 strikeouts and six top-5 Cy Young finishes in his 12-year career.

How Will Cole Fit on the Team?

Despite those gaudy numbers, Cole may no longer slot in as the unquestioned ace of this team.

Schlittler has been nothing short of brilliant with a 1.35 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched.

However, behind him, the pitching has some question marks. While Max Fried has performed great in 10 starts (3.21 ERA), he has been placed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow injury.

This clouds New York’s rotation, leading to pitchers such as Luis Gil and Elmer Rodriguez to start a few games. Both pitchers were not particularly impressive in their time on the roster.

Behind Schlittler, Cole and Fried, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren and Carlos Rodón will have to compete for two open rotation spots once Fried is healthy.

While the Yankees could very well opt for a six-man rotation, it could be more logical to put one of Weathers, Warren or Rodón in a bullpen that has struggled of late.

Either way, Cole’s return signals that the Yankees’ pitching will only get better as the season goes on.

For a team three games out of the AL East and firmly entrenched in the first Wild Card spot, this is welcome news indeed.