The New York Yankees are taking on the Boston Red Sox in a Spring Training game on Wednesday. It was previously reported that Gerrit Cole would make his return to the mound against the Red Sox.

Now, Cole has completed his first start, and it was a success overall, as he went one inning, giving up two hits and not allowing a run.

The first pitch for Cole in his return was a 96.6 mph fastball, which was bunted for a single, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

Cole would allow one more hit in the inning, but due to Braiden Ward being caught attempting to steal third, no one scored in the inning.

In his first action in 372 days since having Tommy John surgery, Cole's fastball averaged 97.1 mph and maxed out at 98.7 mph, according to Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch.

Article Continues Below

Cole joined the Yankees for the 2020 season and has been successful since then. He has made four All-Star teams and finished inside the top ten in Cy Young voting four times, including winning the Cy Young Award in 2024. Further, he finished in the top 15 of MVP voting twice.

He struggled in 2024, though, going 8-5, and having a 2.41 ERA while also dealing with injuries, pitching just 95 innings.  He missed much of the early season due to discomfort in his right elbow. After the season, he decided to return to the Yankees instead of heading to free agency.

In spring training of 2025, he once again began experiencing discomfort in his pitching elbow after giving up six runs over two innings in a spring training start. After receiving an MRI, it was declared that he would need Tommy John Surgery.

Cole is not expected to be ready for the start of the season, but he is on track to return this year and help the Yankees make a run at a World Series title.