Yankees Make Starting Pitching Announcement After Saturday Rainout

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated May 23, 2026 5:54 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays (34-15) increased their lead for first place in the AL East to 5.5 games with their 4-2 win over the New York Yankees (30-22) on Friday, but there was a silver lining for the latter club.

Ace pitcher Gerrit Cole threw a six-inning shutout in his season debut, allowing just two hits and three walks against two strikeouts. The 35-year-old tossed 50 strikes out of 72 pitches.

Cole hadn't pitched in an MLB game outside of spring training since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers secured the championship with a 7-6 victory over the Yankees. The right-hander missed 2025 due to Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow.

Friday's game was the series opener of New York's series against Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium, but Saturday's matchup was postponed due to inclement weather. The Yankees then announced that southpaw pitcher Ryan Weathers will start on Sunday, via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

The Yankees announce that Ryan Weathers will start tomorrow vs. Tampa Bay. (Weather permitting, of course.)
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 23, 2026

Yankees Need Continued Production From Ryan Weathers

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York acquired Weathers from the Miami Marlins in January, and the veteran has been reliable for the club amid several starting pitching injuries this season. In addition to Cole, southpaw Carlos Rodon didn't debut until May 10 due to an elbow issue, and fellow southpaw Max Fried (elbow) is currently on the 15-day injured list, per MLB.com.

Weathers is 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA over nine starts and was tied for 20th in baseball with 61 strikeouts entering Saturday. The 26-year-old has already made more starts this year than he did for the Marlins in 2025 (eight).

If Weathers continues to be effective, he could maintain a role as the Yankees' No. 5 starter even with the rotation at full strength. Fried, Cole, Rodon, and right-hander Cam Schlittler would take the first four spots, while Weathers would have to compete with right-hander Will Warren (6-1, 3.61 ERA). The latter pitcher entered Saturday tied for fifth in MLB in wins and ranked 19th with 62 strikeouts.

Weathers must make a convincing case over the next few weeks, as New York developed Warren in its farm system. The club selected the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and called him up for the first time in 2024.

Saturday's game will be made up on Sept. 22, per the Yankees. Sunday's contest starts at 1:35 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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