After splitting a four-game series with the Blue Jays, the New York Yankees will open a holiday weekend series against the best team in the MLB, the Tampa Bay Rays.
The game will feature the highly anticipated return of Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, who will make his first start in 569 days tonight. Cole last stepped onto the mound at Yankee Stadium during Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2025 and spent 14 months recovering, including a six game rehab stint in the minors. In his last rehab start, he threw 86 pitches and will likely be on a pitch count in that range during tonight’s start.
Rays vs. Yankees: what to know
- When: May 22, 7:05 p.m. ET
- Where: Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
- Channel: YES Network (in New York Metro area), MLB.TV (out-of-market)
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
“It’s been a long road and feel like he’s crushed the rehab process,” manager Aaron Boone said ahead of tonight’s game. “I feel like the ramp-up’s been really good. We’ve been diligent and haven’t skipped things and haven’t rushed things. As a result, I think he’s in a position to come here and perform at a high level. That being said, it’s been a long time, so I’m sure there’ll be some things he’s got to iron out at this level too. But we’re excited to get a player the caliber of Gerrit back in the mix.”
Rays vs. Yankees start time
The first pitch at the Rays vs. Yankees game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET today, May 22.
How to watch Rays vs. Yankees for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Yankees for free. Today’s game is not a national game, so it will air locally on YES Network.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching sports live for free thanks to its five day free trial and the number of sports channels included in packages. We recommend the premium Choice plan, which includes YES Network among its 90+ live channels. Right now, you can get $30 off your first month after the free trial is up.
You can also stream today’s Yankees game for free with Fubo TV’s Pro package, which comes with a five day free trial and includes YES.
Rays vs. Yankees starting pitchers
Nick Martinez (4-1, 1.51 ERA) will start for the Rays. Gerrit Cole makes his first start of the season for the Yankees.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
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