Yankees SP Nestor Cortes has received some good news ahead of spring training. The hamstring injury he suffered shouldn’t hold him out from action for very long. Though he’ll sadly be missing the WBC, where he was slated to feature for Team USA, he will be ready to rock for the Yankees come Opening Day.
Additionally, it seems like he could even take the mound during Spring Training, as there has been no medical recommendation against it. It’s some great news, and some much-needed news, following Montas’s injury announcement.
Boone spoke at the inaugural 2023 presser on Thursday and said:
“I’m hoping it’s any day, he’s doing pretty well, but I know that’s a daily evaluation. It could be as early as this weekend, but we haven’t made that call yet.”
Aaron Boone after Thursday’s first session with pitchers & catchers
The People’s Ace has an even larger role with Montas out this season:
Having a healthy Cortes is even more important now, following the news that Montas will likely miss the entire season. Last year the Yanks elected to use Nestor extremely carefully down the stretch, and now that he’s thrown more innings than he ever had before in his career, I imagine they won’t play it as cautiously. The Yankees’ rotation needs The People’s Ace to be firing on all cylinders throughout the long, drawn 162-game season. Assuming Nestor doesn’t miss any time and is able to make a few spring starts, I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s got no withholdings on his pitch count to start the season.
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Last year, he fully broke out and did so in a huge way. He earned his first All-Star appearance, was able to pitch with his battery mate Jose Trevino, and was dazzled with his eccentric delivery and windup. It’s clear how much this means to him, and being able to pitch in pinstripes is something he truly doesn’t take for granted. He hurled 158.1 innings, a career-high, and posted a stellar 2.44 ERA to go with a 3.13 FIP.
His contribution to the squad’s regular season success cannot be stated enough, and he looks to build on his breakout campaign and ride into the sunset. Having Nestor as the likely fourth man in the roto, behind Cole, Rodon, and Severino will make for one of — if not the meanest front fours in baseball. Sadly, the Montas injury means that the oddly enough, overtly defended Domingo German will likely get the call as the fifth guy. However, Clarke Schmidt should get more usage thanks to better stuff and him not being a terrible human being.
The Yankees need Cortes to stay healthy:
Nestor is the man, and having him healthy is a must for the entire season, but more importantly, for October. If the Yanks want to win games, they will have to hit with the best of them, but they also need their starters to go toe-to-toe with anyone else in the league. The People’s Ace is ready to rock ‘n’ roll, and this season is coming up fast.