The New York Yankees made a transaction on Monday that could pave the way for Gerrit Cole to return this weekend for his first major league appearance in more than a year and a half.

Cole, 35, has been rehabbing in the Yankees' farm system as he works his way back from the Tommy John surgery he had on his right (pitching) elbow in March 2025.

A potential spot for him to enter the Yankees' big-league rotation opened on Monday when Elmer Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On Sunday, New York manager Aaron Boone said the 22-year-old rookie would receive at least one more major league start.

On Monday, though, Boone said the possibility of Cole pitching for the Yankees in the series against the Tampa Bay Rays that starts Sunday in New York is "on the table."

Boone added, "We'll make a call one way or the other. ... We're talking through everything. We'll see what makes the most sense moving forward."

Cole has made five total rehab appearances for three New York minor league affiliates, going 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA in 29 innings. Most recently, he started for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and threw 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, striking out six.

His fastball topped out at 99.6 mph, as hard as he has thrown a pitch since August 2023, according to MLB.com.

"He looks really good," Boone said of Cole. "I think I've watched every pitch he's made in rehab. I think it's gone really well. He's checked a lot of the boxes, and I feel like his last start was mostly excellent."

Cole said following the Saturday outing, according to MLB.com, "So far, so good. It's been a good progression. The pitch count is steadily increasing. The recovery has been good, and the velocity and command are steadily increasing as well."

Cole is a six-time All-Star, and he was the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner for New York after going 15-4 with a league-leading 2.63 ERA in 33 starts.

The following year, he went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, missing the first half of the season due to elbow soreness. Cole also starred in the 2024 postseason, going 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five starts.

In 317 career major league starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-17), Houston Astros (2018-19) and New York (2020-24), Cole has a 153-80 regular-season record with a 3.18 ERA. In 22 postseason starts, he is 11-6 with a 2.77 ERA.

Rodriguez went 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts for the Yankees. He got a no-decision on Sunday against the New York Mets after tossing 4 1/3 innings and allowing one run.

To replace Rodriguez on the roster, the Yankees purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Yovanny Cruz from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cruz, 26, has no big-league experience. In 15 Triple-A appearances this year, he went 5-1 with one save and a 3.00 ERA.