Gerrit Cole returns to Yankees

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole made his highly anticipated season debut against the Tampa Bay Rays after recovering from major elbow surgery.

The reigning Cy Young winner threw six scoreless innings, hitting 98.6 mph in his first start in 569 days.

Despite Cole's dominant performance, the Yankees' bullpen faltered, leading to a 4-2 loss.

The outing was a significant boost for New York, confirming that their ace has returned to full strength as they look to climb back in the AL East standings.

Cole allowed only two hits and struck out five before being pulled after 72 pitches.