The New York Yankees have had six healthy starters for five available spots for a few weeks now, when Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil returned from injury-related absences during the same weekend.
The Yankees’ plans have changed as a result of the Nestor Cortes injury
The situation has now changed, but unfortunately, it wasn’t in the way the Yankees would have wanted. Left-handed Nestor Cortes is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left elbow on Wednesday. It’s crushing news for the Yankees, as they will probably be without their hottest starter for a while and, potentially, the entire postseason depending on what the imaging shows.
Cortes had allowed just a single run in his last 15.1 innings and appeared highly motivated after the Yankees sent him to the bullpen for one turn. He was looking like a lock to make the postseason rotation or at least contribute major innings from the bullpen.
Initially, the Yankees and most teams are expected to deploy a three-man rotation in the Division Series. Common sense indicates that Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Cortes were going to be the chosen ones. Now, the Yankees are left scrambling for solutions.
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Luis Gil makes perfect sense in the Yankees’ playoff staff now
One of them involves putting Luis Gil in the playoffs rotation. The rookie right-hander has had a brilliant campaign to this point, with a 3.27 ERA in 146 innings, and had surrendered just two runs in his last 10 frames before allowing four in his last start against the Oakland Athletics.
As Yankees insider Jack Curry reminds us, Gil was already lined up to start in a five-game division series. Gil and Cortes have different ways of dominating and contrasting styles. The Yankees, however, might have no choice but to go with the pitcher that has the most upside besides Cole.
They could also choose Marcus Stroman or Clarke Schmidt, but Gil is as good a choice as any of them if he is right. The Yankees do have options, but losing Cortes is extremely painful.
