What happened: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole turned in a strong outing in his second start back from Tommy John surgery, with manager and observers noting he had "everything going." The performance came 569 days after the procedure that sidelined him. Cole showed no visible signs of rust as he worked through the start.

Why it matters: A healthy, effective Cole reshapes the Yankees rotation outlook, restoring a frontline anchor the staff has been missing through his long recovery. Stacking quality starts back-to-back is the clearest signal yet that he can carry a full workload again.

What to watch: Watch whether Cole holds up over a deeper pitch count in his next turn and how quickly the Yankees stretch him toward a full starter's workload.