The Yankees have the best record in baseball, and while they’ve dropped three out of their last four, they’re about to get a huge boost to their starting rotation.

According to manager Aaron Boone, ace Gerrit Cole will make his season debut on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium when the Yankees face the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of their three-game set.

Boone made the announcement during his weekly spot with Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks podcast.

The 33-year-old Cole made just one appearance in spring training before being diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow. The right-hander was shut down from throwing, but has worked his way back to the mound, making three rehab starts this month.

In those three outings (two with Somerset, one with Scranton), Cole has pitched a total of 12.1 innings while allowing just one earned run, good for a 0.73 ERA. He struck out 19 batters without a walk, while holding opposing hitters to a .136 batting average.

Even without Cole, the Yankees rotation has been stellar this season, with every starter currently owning an ERA of 3.59 or lower. While Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman have all been great, the biggest surprise has been Luis Gil, who owns a 2.03 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 80.0 innings.

The Orioles, meanwhile, come into this week’s three-game series in the Bronx just 1.5 games behind the Yankees, so Cole seems to be coming back into the rotation at the perfect time.

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