(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Gerrit Cole spent the past two months gradually building up his arm and getting into minor league rehab games in anticipation of his return to the New York Yankees.

The former Cy Young Award winner finally will start for New York on Friday when the Yankees host the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in an American League East matchup.

Cole spent the past 14 months rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He rejoins a Yankees team that has just four wins in the past 13 games after managing only three hits in a 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

'It's been tough. I mean, I've missed it quite a bit,' Cole said Tuesday. 'There's been some blessings along the way as well. I talked about my family and spending time with my boys. But largely I'm just looking forward to being really tired and having that exhaustion, like, mean something.'

Cole will take a major league mound for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a contest in which the right-hander and the Yankees blew a five-run lead with a disastrous fifth inning.

The following spring, Cole had reconstructive elbow surgery five days after allowing two homers in a spring training start against the Minnesota Twins.

Cole made a pair of outings for the Yankees during spring training, and he began his rehab assignment on April 17. In six minor league outings for three New York farm teams, Cole posted a 4.66 ERA and allowed 28 hits in 29 innings while striking out 28 and walking three.

The 35-year-old veteran likely will be on some kind of pitch count, though he threw 86 pitches in 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

'We're thrilled to get him back,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. 'I think that goes without saying. It's been a long road and I feel like he's crushed the rehab process. I feel like the ramp up's been really good. We've been diligent, haven't skipped things and haven't rushed things.

'As a result, I think he's in position to come here and perform at a high level. That being said, it's been a long time and so I'm sure there'll be some things he's got to iron out at this level, too.'

Cole is 5-7 with a 3.45 ERA in 20 career starts against the Rays.

Tampa Bay designated hitter Yandy Diaz is 14-for-44 (.318) with two homers off Cole in his career, but it's uncertain if he will be in the lineup on Friday.

Diaz exited the Rays' 4-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday after being hit on the fingers of both hands by Yennier Cano's fastball in the eighth inning. Diaz didn't play on Wednesday as Tampa Bay capped a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory.

Diaz went 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer and four RBIs as the Rays swept three games from the Yankees last month. He is 9-for-19 (.474) with three homers and nine RBIs in his past five games, and Tampa Bay is 8-2 in its past 10 games after scoring 25 runs against Baltimore.

Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is hitting .444 (8-for-18) in his past five games.

Jonathan Aranda had a two-run, game-tying single in the eighth inning on Wednesday, and Tampa Bay put up four runs in the frame to rally for the victory.

'Everyone was saying it just feels like a game where we're going to come back and win,' Tampa Bay starter Steven Matz said. 'It just feels like every night, it's someone different, and it's so much fun.'

Nick Martinez (4-1, 1.51 ERA) will start for the Rays on Friday. The right-hander held the Yankees to one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision on April 11. Martinez is 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA in 11 career appearances (six starts) against the Yankees.

Martinez won four consecutive starts before throwing six scoreless innings and settling for a no-decision against the Miami Marlins on Saturday.

--Field Level Media