NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole is looking forward to feeling exhausted Saturday. He’s missed that day-after feeling of leaving everything he had out on a big-league mound.Cole will make his season debut Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. He will be pitching in the majors for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.It’s been a long, trying road back to the big leagues after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025, especially for the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, who prides himself on his durability.“It’s been tough,” Cole said Tuesday. “I’ve missed it quite a lot. I try to contribute as much as I can without being on the field, finding new ways to add something to the mix. There’s been some blessings along the way as well. We’ve talked about my family and spending time with my boys, but largely, I’m just looking forward to being really tired and having an exhaustion that means something.”He’ll have quite the test in his first outing. The Rays (33-15) have the best record in the AL and feature an offense that puts the ball in play. Entering Thursday, their strikeout rate was tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the lowest in the sport. The Rays will also run when they get on base; their 53 stolen bases rank fourth in MLB.But no matter who the opponent is, Cole is simply excited that his rehab is over.“I’m most looking forward to just competing at the highest stage,” Cole said. “Pretty high stakes Friday night for May.”Here are three things to watch when Cole takes the mound against the Rays for his season debut:How does his velocity look?In his last start, Saturday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cole averaged 96.9 mph on his four-seamer, which he threw at a near-40 percent usage rate. That is notable because he has not averaged higher than 96.9 mph on his primary fastball since 2022.There has been some belief within the Yankees organization that Cole could be pitching with a “new elbow” since it was surgically repaired. Against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday, Cole featured a slider, sinker, changeup, knuckle curve and cutter in addition to his four-seamer. The average velocity on each of his pitches was generally in line with 2024 levels.Cole maxed out his fastball at 99.6 mph, which would have been his hardest pitch in the majors since Aug. 13, 2023. The righty threw only one pitch harder than 99 mph in 2024.“We showed that velocity in spring when the volume was shorter and the time in between the games was longer,” Cole said of his fastball velo. “As we’ve gotten into a rhythm and added more pitches, it was nice to see that early and just trust that it’s gonna be there. Certainly encouraging the last couple of times to be touching 99. It’s obviously a plus.”Cole is expected to throw between 85 and 90 pitches against the Rays.