Yankees may pitch Gerrit Cole vs. Rays for season debut instead of scheduling last rehab start

The New York Yankees are considering activating Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, for his season debut against the first-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, May 22, 2026, instead of scheduling a final rehab start. The move was prompted by the Yankees sending Elmer Rodríguez down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday, leaving no starting pitcher slotted for Friday's game. Cole showed strong form in his last rehab appearance, touching 99.7 mph on the radar gun.