Gerrit Cole Returns for First Start in 400 Days After Missing 2025 to Tommy John Surgery
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 22
Gerrit Cole Returns for First Start in 400 Days After Missing 2025 to Tommy John Surgery
11 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 22
Friday will bring Cole’s first meaningful start since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, capping nearly 400 days of rehab after elbow reconstruction wiped out his 2025 season.
A torn ulnar collateral ligament forced the surgery in March 2025, and Cole said the recovery brought repeated low points—from fearing the operation itself to relearning basic tasks with his left hand.
Weeks ahead of schedule, he earned the return by accelerating through bullpens, live batting practice, Grapefruit League outings and rehab starts, impressing Yankees staff with how quickly he hit each target.
The 35-year-old stayed with the club during rehab rather than leaving for Florida or Arizona, helping coaches and pitchers while trying to balance family life in Connecticut with preparation for 2026.
For the Yankees, Cole’s comeback arrives as both a personal milestone and a rotation boost, with the club chasing the AL East-leading Rays and needing innings after Max Fried’s injury.
Gerrit Cole’s comeback hinges on a mental routine. What happens on the day his carefully constructed psychological armor finally cracks under pressure?
His elbow is rebuilt, but has sports science evolved enough to prevent the next epidemic of career-altering injuries for pitchers?
After 569 days of rehab, is the pressure to save a team's season a greater challenge than the physical recovery itself?