Last week Nestor Cortes started for the New York Yankees against the Houston Astros. It was his first start in two months dating back to May 30th when he pitched 5 innings giving up 2 earned runs against the Seattle Mariners. In the two month span, Cortes fell victim to a left rotator cuff strain where he had two rehab starts with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. In Cortes’ return to the Majors against the Astros, he was held on a pitch limit where he tossed 64 pitches over 4 innings only giving up one run and a hit to the Astros, a solo homerun to Jose Altuve.

Cortes was set to make his second start today in Miami against the Marlins. Having grown up in Hialeah Florida and being a huge fan of the Marlins growing up, it was definitely a start Cortes was excited for. Unfortunately that start would not come, as Cortes would again end up on the 15-Day IL with the same ailment. He will be shut down from throwing for the next three to four weeks.

Cortes spoke before last night’s game on what he was feeling this week saying, “I felt more soreness than usual throughout the week. I attempted to throw a bullpen yesterday and I just couldn’t put any velo behind the baseball. I felt like it was the right decision to say something because I didn’t want to put the team in a predicament where they had to call up somebody on the same day or me go out there for an inning and not be able to finish.”

With the Yankees having 46 games remaining in the regular season, being 4 games out of the third Wild Card spot and 11 games away from the 1st place Baltimore Orioles, it is possible that Nestor Cortes does not make a return for the rest of this season. Yankees Manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media about Cortes’ injury saying, “Hopefully it is not too much of a setback for him, but obviously it potentially could cost him the season.”

Before this season the New York Yankees were expected to have a premiere starting rotation. It was expected to consist of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas. Gerrit Cole is the only starter to have been free of injury this season. Carlos Rodón made his first start of the season in the last series before the All-Star Break after fighting with chronic back spasms. Rodón struggled in his 6 games, going 1-4 with a 7.33 ERA and only pitching 27 innings. He was put on the 15-Day IL on Monday with a low grade left hamstring strain. Luis Severino started the season on the IL with a right lat strain, where he made his return to the team on May 21st. On the season he has struggled getting a 2-7 record in 14 games with a 8.06 ERA. Frankie Montas has not pitched at all this season as he is battling right shoulder inflammation and to this point there have not been any major updates in his recovery process so it is unlikely that he will pitch this season. 

The Yankees recalled both right handed pitchers Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez from Triple-A on Friday while optioning Nick Ramirez down. On the season Brito has pitched in 14 games going 4-5 with a 5.02 ERA and he is scheduled to be the bulk arm out of the bullpen in today’s game against the Marlins at 4 PM EDT. Randy Vásquez was the bulk arm out of last night’s 9-4 win where he pitched 3.2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs off of 3 hits and a homerun. On the season he is 2-1 in 4 games with a 1.89 ERA. The 24-year old also has a WHIP of 1.05.