Gerrit Cole pitches 6 shutout innings for Yanks after 569-day absence

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole pitched six shutout innings in his return from elbow ligament reconstruction that caused a 569-day absence.

Cole left with a 1-0 lead against the Tampa Bay Rays.

A 35-year-old right-hander who had surgery in March 2025, Cole allowed two hits and three walks while striking out two.

Cole was unusually sharp for a pitcher coming off a long layoff.

He needed just 11 pitches in the third and fourth innings and retired 10 in a row during one stretch.