The New York Yankees have reached an agreement on a contract worth $89.5 million With…
The Yankees have just finished a terribly terrible season in which nearly everything that could have gone wrong actually did. Giancarlo Stanton retreated, Carlos Rodón was horrible, Anthony Rizzo’s stellar play in the first two months was wrecked by a concussion, Aaron Judge missed two months’ worth of games, and more.
Nestor Cortes is another victim you can cross off the list. The left-hander was only used in 63.1 innings last year and had a dismal 4.97 ERA. In 2022, he had tossed 158.1 innings with a 2.44 ERA. Certainly, a little deterioration was to be expected following two years of dominance, but his left shoulder is the main source of his problems.
Cortes is apparently healthy now and hoping for a huge comeback campaign. Early in December, manager Aaron Boone informed reporters that the southpaw was aiming for a typical ramp-up to spring training, and we haven’t seen anything to suggest different.
Regaining full strength for Rizzo, Stanton, and, to a lesser extent, DJ LeMahieu is undoubtedly one of the Yankees’ most important goals this season. However, it’s as crucial to persuade Cortes to provide his 140–150 innings from the bench.
In an attempt to address their outfield issues, the Bombers added three players who might potentially start in that position: Trent Grisham, Alex Verdugo, and Juan Soto. Even with Marcus Stroman in, their rotation does look a little short.
In the event that Gerrit Cole, Rodón, Cortes, Stroman, or Clarke Schmidt sustain an injury, a rookie might end up starting as the team’s fifth player. The depth of the Yanks’ rotation hasn’t been adequately handled, especially considering that Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, Luis Gil, and possibly even seasoned Luke Weaver could be called upon if one of the top five players gets hurt (which is a real possibility).
For the 2024 Yankees, Cortes’ health and effectiveness are crucial. Simply said, there isn’t much space for error. Can he, however, survive intact?
Unfortunately, a hamstring strain interrupted Cortes’ routine and postponed his 2023 spring debut. Although he was back in time to start the season with the Yankees, he wasn’t as productive as he usually was. He was diagnosed with a rotator cuff injury at the beginning of June, had a cortisone injection in his left shoulder, and was put on the 10-day disabled list.
Almost two months after going on the injured list, Nestor made his roster debut on August 5th. He pitched four scoreless innings against the Astros and added eight strikeouts in a stellar outing. On that particular day, his fastball averaged 93 mph, which was approximately 1.5 times faster than his previous season’s best.
Happiness, however, would not last long as three days later the 2022 All-Star was back on the disabled list with the same injury, and he would not return. It was really unfortunate because Nestor had such a great day:
A few months later, Cortes is anticipated to play a significant role in the Yankees’ pitching plans. Everyone is hoping that this is the case for the benefit of the club and the season.
If Cortes stays healthy, the plan is for him to employ the same formula that helped him succeed in 2021–2022: a lot of four-seam fastballs (above 40%), a healthy dosage of cutters (just under 30%), and his sweeper.
Cortes will need to improve his cutter and sweeper skills in order to succeed this season. But for him to perform at his peak, his shoulder must be in optimal shape. So let’s hope.
