Manager Aaron Boone announced Tuesday that Cole (elbow) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut Friday versus the Rays, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
The Yankees ace is ready to make his first start in the big leagues since 2024 after being sidelined for the entirety of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Cole made six rehab appearances in the minor leagues, with his last outing coming with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, when he threw 86 pitches across 5.1 frames while giving up one run on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk. The right-hander shouldn't face significant workload restrictions given the length of his rehab assignment, though the Yankees are still likely to exercise some caution with his usage.