The New York Yankees have their pitching plan set for the first series of the second half, putting multiple key arms on the mound against the reigning World Series champions.
New York Post writer Greg Joyce reported on Thursday that Gerrit Cole, Ryan Weathers and Cam Schlittler will start the three-game set against West Coast rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. The series opens Friday and runs through Sunday, marking the Dodgers' first trip to the Bronx since beating New York in the 2024 World Series.
Cole's turn in the series comes in the middle of his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire 2025 campaign.
The 35-year-old Cole has been steady since returning to the rotation in May. His fastball is still lively, averaging 96.7 mph, placing him in the 83rd percentile among active pitchers per Baseball Savant.
Schlittler, who leads the American League in ERA, chose to sit out the All-Star Game in part to be lined up for the series, a decision he explained was driven by a desire to protect his workload for the second half. Weathers, acquired from the Miami Marlins over the winter, has held down a rotation spot amid injuries to Carlos Rodon and Max Fried.
The Yankees finished the first half at 54-42, sitting three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. With Rodon and Fried both working their way back, the Yankees are leaning on Cole and Co. to hold the rotation together until the group is at full strength.
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Beginning Friday, the trio will get to prove themselves in what is possibly their hardest test yet in a very potent lineup headlined by Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
As of Thursday, the Yankees' probable pitchers are: Gerrit Cole on Friday, Ryan Weathers on Saturday and Cam Schlittler on Sunday.
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