Yankees ace starter Cole will make his spring training debut tomorrow, pitching one inning against the Red Sox.

New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole will make his Grapefruit League debut tomorrow, scheduled to start one inning against the Boston Red Sox on the road. This marks the right-hander's first official game since undergoing TJ surgery last March.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said today. “Obviously, the good condition he has shown has energized everyone. Now, him being able to play a game is a clear indicator of how far he has progressed, and things are going very smoothly. I don’t want anyone to misinterpret that we are rushing him; that’s not the case. He’s simply ready to take this step, having already gone through live batting practice sessions, so seeing him start and pitch an inning, seeing our ace on the mound, feels really good.”

Boone revealed that over the past few weeks, the plan for Cole to pitch in the Grapefruit League became clearer. Early in spring training, the possibility of him pitching outside of a side field was still described as “maybe.”

“Over the past few weeks, as he continued to progress, recovered well, and completed multiple live batting practice sessions, roughly in the last ten days to two weeks, this possibility grew increasingly likely. Only in the last few days we finalized, ‘Okay, as long as he keeps progressing daily, we’ll move forward with this.’”

The Yankees previously stated that Cole is expected to return to the major league rotation by late May or early June. This aligns with the original rehabilitation timeline of 14 to 18 months post-surgery.

The 35-year-old Cole has steadily advanced through his rehab protocols while regaining strength. An early bullpen session this spring training—using his classic high-leg kick—led Boone to remark, “He looked like Gerrit Cole.” Since then, his fastball has reached 97.5 mph, he has thrown breaking balls to hitters, and most recently, on March 12, he completed a 35-pitch bullpen session.

“That’s the standout thing,” Boone said about Cole’s performance in camp. “I think often, especially with power pitchers like Gerrit, when they come back, command isn’t always immediately there. What’s impressive is his command has been very precise. One of Gerrit’s superpowers is his pitching mechanics, which are very standard and help him control the strike zone. That’s something he has always excelled at, and it seems to be paying off now.”

“Everything is progressing as you would hope,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said in February. “The rehab road always has twists, good days and bad days. But it feels like he’s only had good days, which is great.”

Although the Yankees largely retained the core of last year’s 94-win team, Cole’s return is undoubtedly a potential game-changer in the competitive AL East. The six-time All-Star has a 3.12 ERA over his five seasons with the Yankees and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2023 with a league-best 2.63 ERA and a 165 ERA+. Cole’s last MLB appearance was in 2024, posting a 3.41 ERA over 17 starts. His eventual return will add a reliable frontline starter to an already top-tier Yankees rotation.

Regarding how the team and Cole himself have handled the rehab process, Boone said: “I think we and he himself have been very disciplined. That’s one reason his recovery has gone well. He followed the advice of doctors and relevant personnel and executed his rehab excellently. But I also believe we haven’t rushed any step.”

Boone confirmed that the ideal scenario remains Cole being ready by late May or early June. “June 1 is roughly the target date; I don’t think it will change much, but we’ll see as we go.”