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Jorge Castillo, editor at ESPN
NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles as the New York Yankees look to clinch the AL East title. Instead, the left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with a strained left elbow flexor.
This development ensures that Cortes will not be available for the start of the American League Division Series on October 5.
The Yankees will use Marcus Stroman, who recently moved to the bullpen, to replace Cortes on Wednesday. Stroman last pitched eight days ago, throwing three innings in his first and only relief appearance this season.
The Yankees also recalled Cody Poteet, who was recently activated from the 60-day injured list and sent to Triple-A.
Cortes underwent an MRI on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the situation. Cortes’ recent performance did not suggest he was struggling with elbow problems. Beginning with a brief demotion to reliever, Cortes has allowed one run with 18 strikeouts in 15⅓ innings in his last three appearances.
The streak began when Cortes threw 4 1/3 hitless innings in his first relief appearance of the season against the Chicago Cubs — and then expressed frustration at being moved to the bullpen. He returned to the rotation five days later and limited the Boston Red Sox to one run with nine strikeouts in five innings. On September 18, he held the Seattle Mariners to four hits in six scoreless innings.
Cortes, 29, has a team-leading 3.77 ERA in 174⅓ innings pitched. He has made 30 starts but is expected to return to the bullpen for the playoffs.
The Yankees have largely benefited from injury luck in recent weeks. Clarke Schmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Jon Berti, Ian Hamilton and Luis Gil have also been taken off the injured list since September 1. The reinforcements have made the Yankees more complete than almost any other baseball club.
It also gave the Yankees a problem that teams would like to have in the home stretch: six healthy, capable starting pitchers for five positions. The surplus prompted the Yankees to move Cortes to the bullpen for one rotation before swapping him with Stroman for the final two rounds.
Now this surplus has been compromised.
