Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes has been sidelined due to a strained flexor in his pitching elbow, leading to his placement on the 15-day injured list. This setback comes as a blow to New York's rotation as they gear up for the playoffs.
The left-hander was pulled from his scheduled start against Baltimore and was replaced by Marcus Stroman. The move to place Cortes on the injured list was retroactive to Sunday.
With a season record of 9-10 and an ERA of 3.77, Cortes was being considered as a potential third starter for the Yankees in the postseason, following Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón. His recent performance had been impressive, going 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA in his last seven starts.
Despite already securing a playoff spot, the Yankees needed just one win in their remaining five games to clinch the AL East division title and secure a first-round bye. This would allow them to open the best-of-five Division Series at home on October 5.
In light of Cortes' absence, the Yankees are evaluating their options for the third starter position in the postseason. Candidates include Marcus Stroman, rookie Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt. Given the off days between games, the team may only require three starting pitchers for the playoff series.
To bolster their pitching depth, New York has recalled right-hander Cody Poteet from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
For more updates and news on Major League Baseball, visit AP MLB.
