THE BRONX — New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole threw six scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night in The Bronx in his return from Tommy John surgery. The Rays beat the Yankees 4-2.

Cole needed 72 pitches to keep the Rays off the board through six innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two batters. He averaged 96.1 mph with his four-seam fastball and dialed it up to 99 mph in the first inning. He also showcased a new windup he adopted during the rehab process.

"It was an enjoyable moment. It was nice to get back in the fire." Cole said.

Cole, 35, missed the entire 2025 season and the start of the 2026 season recovering from the surgery, and had not appeared in a major league game since the 2024 World Series. He made six minor-league rehab starts over the last few weeks. In his final rehab outing, he allowed one run in 5⅓ innings and threw 84 pitches, with his fastball averaging 97.0 mph and topping out at 99.6 mph.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced earlier in the week that Cole would make his major league return Friday against the Rays. "We just feel like he has done everything he needs to be ready to compete now at this level," Boone said.

Cole is in the sixth year of his nine-year, $360 million contract, which set a record for a pitcher at the time it was signed. He opted out after the 2024 season and then re-signed under its original terms. The Yankees are 29-19 this season, three games behind the Rays in the AL East. The Yankees rotation ranked fourth in ERA (3.21), second in expected ERA (3.45), and first in WAR (6.0) in 2026.