The New York Yankees’ pitching rotation seemed ready for the postseason—until now.
On Wednesday afternoon, the team revealed that left-handed starter has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his left elbow flexor.
Earlier in the day, YES Network’s Jack Curry reported that Nestor Cortes Jr. , set to pitch against the Orioles, was undergoing an MRI.
With Cortes out, Marcus Stroman will rejoin the rotation, and right-hander Cody Poteet has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This injury likely sidelines Cortes at least through the start of the ALDS, as flexor strains can often take longer than 15 days to heal.
Cortes, 29, had been performing exceptionally well, giving up just one earned run over his last 15.1 innings and allowing no more than one earned run in six of his last seven outings. He currently holds a 3.77 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, a 22.8% strikeout rate, and a 5.5% walk rate across a career-high 174.1 innings, starting 30 of his 31 games.
Earlier this month, he had briefly moved to the bullpen but quickly returned to the starting role when Stroman was sidelined. With Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt filling the top four spots in the rotation, it was uncertain how the Yankees would utilize Cortes in the postseason, whether as a starter or reliever. However, he was expected to be a key contributor for a team with only two left-handed relievers on its 40-man roster—Tim Hill and Tim Mayza—neither of whom strike out batters as effectively as Cortes.
For now, Stroman will step in for Cortes as the regular season wraps up, likely becoming the primary long relief option for the postseason unless further injuries occur. The Yankees are just one win away from clinching the AL East title, with two games left against the Orioles before concluding the season with a three-game home series against the Pirates.
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