When the New York Yankees thought they would be entering the playoffs with their starting pitching depth intact, left-hander Nestor Cortes learned that he had a left elbow flexor strain. The fate of his season was hanging by a thread, as he was deemed highly unlikely to return in 2024.
Nestor, however, is a fighter. If there is a chance he returns this year, he will work to make it happen. Apparently, if the Yankees make it to the World Series, he might get his wish.
“Nestor Cortes is about to throw to hitters at Yankee Stadium. If all goes well, he’d do so again this weekend. Aaron Boone said he considers Cortes very much in play for a potential World Series roster,” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch reported on his X account.
The Yankees’ lefty still has to clear some hurdles
Basically, three things need to happen for Cortes to make it back for the World Series — that the Yankees make it that far, that he clears the two throwing sessions on deck for him this week, and that manager Aaron Boone considers him a superior option to one of his starters or relievers with the Fall Classic in mind.
All three requirements are plausible at this point.
A healthy Cortes can certainly make the difference for the Yankees, even in a long relief or multi-inning role (the most likely scenario). If the Yanks are somewhat unreliable or thin in any unit, it’s in left-handed bullpen options, so the southpaw could come in handy.
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He posted a 3.77 ERA while pitching a career-high 174.1 innings in the regular season, just a year after barely pitching due to shoulder woes. He rarely walks hitters (39) and maintains a healthy strikeout rate (he punched out 162).
In other words, Cortes would be a preferred option over several current Yankees, but one thing is looking good in a throwing session and a completely different one would be dominating MLB hitters in the World Series. As a result, the Yanks have some decisions to make.
